From Albion To Avalon
by DiaDuitCluaiste
Summary: Arthur spots Merlin and Freya in the courtyard. What will he think? Merlin/Freya, Arthur/Gwen. It's mainly a T. Fairly AU. As though Freya didn't die, and Morgana stayed nice for a while. Then babies. And teen romance.
1. Who's That Girl?

**Note to readers: I have already posted this fiction on another site (.com) and I AM SayWhatYouSee, so I can do what I like with my fiction. I thought I'd post it here too so that I wouldn't have all my different fictions in different places and I could keep track of them easier. Please enjoy!**

After their date that night, Merlin and Freya crossed the square, messing around, as if they were alone. However, neither of them were aware that Arthur just happened to be watching them…

XXX

Arthur pulled off his shirt and threw it onto the wooden divider. Merlin could clear it up in the morning; after all, that was his job. Arthur made his way over to his bed and sat down. Usually at this time in the evening his thoughts would be of Gwen. But tonight his thoughts were lingering on Merlin. Obviously not in the same way as he saw Gwen, but he was still wondering about his manservant's funny behaviour when he had asked shyly for the night off.

Arthur had just assumed that it was to help Gaius but now, looking back on the conversation, Merlin had been reluctant to go into too much detail on his activities. Maybe there was a girl…no, Merlin wasn't that type of man. He never seemed to have much luck with girls, mainly because none ever seemed to be interested in him, especially when Arthur was on the scene.

A wave of pity breezed over Arthur. Poor boy, he hadn't been around much. Arthur, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He had never bedded a girl, but he had often got close to it before his honour got the better of him and he stopped. He doubted Merlin had even had his first kiss… well; maybe that was going a bit too far. He'd probably kissed a girl, but Arthur highly doubted that he'd got any further. Poor, poor boy, so much he'd missed out on.

Suddenly, Arthur heard laughter from the square. Eager to find something else to do he bounded to the window. Looking out into the warm summers night he saw what appeared to be two figures dancing across the square playfully. He grinned absent mindedly. He didn't recognise the girl, but as they spun into a patch of light, supplied by the sunset, his heart skipped a beat as he recognised the tall, skinny man. It was Merlin. Arthur laughed besides himself. Merlin was messing around in the square with a girl! And only moments ago, he had wrongly assumed that this day would never come. Merlin was avoiding his duties for a girl!

Arthur watched in wonder as the girl pulled away, doubled up with laughter. She took a seat on the steps and after a few seconds Merlin followed suit. As they sat together talking, Merlin extended his arm and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders. They stayed in silence for a few minutes before the girl gently patted Merlin on the knee and stood up, turning to face him. Merlin, again, copied her. He wrapped his arms around the girl's shoulders and listened as she spoke, although, from the angle he could see things, Arthur was pretty sure Merlin was just gazing at her. Merlin began to respond to what seemed like questions. After no more than a minute of this, Merlin began to lean in. Arthur watched in awe as Merlin unsurely kissed the girl on the mouth. She kissed him back and, with boosted confidence from this reaction, Merlin let one hand rest on the back of her head whilst the other worked its way down to the small of her back. She lifted her arms and wrapped them tightly around Merlin's neck as they kissed more passionately by the second.

As he watched, Arthur felt a suddenly pang deep in his heart. Could he possibly be feeling envious of his manservant? Truthfully, yes, he inwardly admitted to himself for the first time in his life. He wished that his love life was as simple as Merlin's. He wished that he was allowed to fall in love with whoever he wanted. He wished that he could mess around in the square, carefree, not worrying about his future and the commitments he had to make. He wished he could be with Gwen…

XXX

Slowly and unwillingly, Freya pulled her mouth from Merlin's.

"Wait, I hadn't finished." Merlin said softly as he opened his eyes. Freya smiled. If only she could express how much she loved him. The man who had saved her from the villainous bounty hunter. The man who had kept her secret and made sure she had enough food and water to survive. The man who didn't care that she was cursed and that she had kept things from him. The only man who could keep her calm when she transformed.

Every midnight he would sneak into the lower town and go to her house. He would sit with her whilst she was a beast. He would talk to her, tell her stories, and some times even sing when he'd had enough to drink. He would stroke her velvety black fur lovingly and tell her that she was beautiful. And yet he never asked for anything in return. He gave her unconditional love, and to repay his kindness, she loved him without bounds. But it wasn't enough. She still felt guilty that there was nothing she could do to pay him back. And what made it worse was that she refused to make love to him. It wasn't because she didn't want to, be under no illusions, she did. It was just she didn't feel ready.

Freya internally rolled her eyes. Didn't feel ready. What sort of rubbish was that? She was more ready than she ever would be. There was just always something that stopped her, something deep inside of her that told her that she must wait for the perfect moment.

Freya suddenly became aware of Merlin's anxious expression.

"Freya, are you alright?" She shivered as he spoke her name. She wanted him so badly, but she couldn't have him, not yet.

"No, I'm half left." She said to him. He grinned cheekily, that signature smile that made her tingle. She knew he loved it when she joined in with his joking banter and she was still getting the hang of it. After so many years feeling alone, her sense of humour had all but diminished completely, but Merlin was helping her find herself again, "I had a great time tonight." Merlin nodded.

"Me too. Maybe we could do it again some time. And maybe next time I could cook you dinner too." He said, blushing slightly.

"Was that you asking me on a date?" Freya replied sarcastically. Merlin shrugged.

"Maybe." He retorted, pretending to act illusive. She smiled.

"Well then, seeing as you asked me so kindly, I don't think I could refuse." She said tousling with his dark silky hair. He grinned like a little boy at Christmas.

"Ok then. Same time and place next week?" he asked.

"Sounds like a plan." Freya replied. They smiled at each other and, after one last kiss, untangled themselves from each others grip. Waving gently as she walked away, Freya felt a wave of euphoria pass over her. Merlin was the love of her life. She was sure of it.

XXX

The next morning Merlin almost skipped into Arthur's chambers. Managing to get a reign on his happiness he placed Arthur's breakfast tray on the table and moved over to the window with slightly less energy. He threw open the curtains and was almost blinded by the summer morning sun.

"Good morning!" Merlin said in a sing song voice. Arthur sat bolt up right.

"What?" he mumbled as he opened his eyes.

"It's the morning!" Merlin stated cheerfully, picking up the clothes that lay over the wooden divider and throwing them with unusually good aim, into the laundry basket. Arthur rubbed his eyes and watched Merlin prance about the room, clearing up the mess Arthur had made a special effect to leave him, with such ease it surprised Arthur. He suddenly remembered what he had seen the night before. Arthur grinned in spite of himself. Merlin looked at him in confusion.

"What?" he asked. Arthur shook his head.

"Nothing." He replied, still grinning widely. Merlin frowned but began to collect up Arthur's armour. Arthur got out of bed and sat down at the table. As he began to eat his breakfast Merlin sat down at the table too and set about polishing the armour.

"How was your night last night?" Arthur asked, pausing eating. Merlin froze for a split second but managed to cover it up. However, it didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh, you know. Boring, chores and such." Merlin said, apparently nonchalantly.

"Really? Because a little bird told me otherwise." Arthur said as he finished his breakfast. Merlin shook his head.

"Honestly, Arthur. When a bird talks to you, you shouldn't listen to it. Hearing speaking birds isn't normal. Maybe I should get Gaius to check you over." he said, not lifting his gaze from his work. Arthur smiled. He wasn't going to say anything until Merlin did.

"Shut up Merlin, I saw you with that girl." Arthur blurted out. Damn. There went his ingenious plan. Merlin's head jerked up and his jaw dropped.

"What?" he said in disbelief. Arthur laughed.

"You needn't hide anything from me, we're both men. Can we not talk about girls?" he said, gesturing to Merlin. Merlin didn't look like he was falling for it.

"No we can't. You're the king." He stated. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Well spotted Merlin. I thought you'd never notice." Arthur said, leaning back in his seat as he began to see his plan hatch.

"What I mean is; a nobleman's intentions are completely honourable. With a servant, things are different…" Merlin trailed off as he realised that his argument had just backfired. Arthur grinned.

"Well that was a spectacular fail." Arthur joked. Merlin opened his mouth to say something but Arthur raised a hand to stop him, "I understand what you were trying to say, don't worry." Merlin relaxed slightly, and Arthur wasn't going to have that, "From what I saw, your intentions certainly weren't honourable." Merlin dropped the gauntlet he was holding, and in sheer horror he looked at Arthur, who was grinning uncontrollably.

"You saw that?" Merlin gasped. Arthur nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Merlin ran his hand through his hair, "Oh God!"

"Indeed." Arthur stated, having a hard time stopping himself from bursting out laughing.

"I swear that's as far as we've got. I really do have respectable intentions for this girl." Merlin said quickly.

"Merlin." Arthur said leaning forward and resting his hand on Merlin's shoulder, "You don't need to cover anything up. I understand how you feel." Merlin gazed at him with sombre eyes. Believing his comment had been well received, Arthur leaned back.

"You're not going to tell anyone?" Merlin asked, regarding Arthur with suspicion.

"Of course not. It's between you, me and her." He said, smiling gently at his best friend, "What's her name then?"

"Freya." Merlin replied. Blushing, he looked down at his work. Bless his heart, Merlin was finally growing up.

"You really like her." Arthur stated.

"Like her? I love her." Merlin said, treating Arthur's comment as more of a question. Catching Arthur's eye, Merlin turned an even deeper shade of red. Arthur grinned triumphantly as he stood up and moved over to get dressed. Merlin reluctantly followed him and passed him his clothes as he stepped behind the wooden divider.

"Really? Well then, the girl you love must be pretty permanent." Arthur said. Merlin sat on the end of the bed.

"I hope so." He replied, playing with a tassel on the edge of the bed sheets. Arthur peered around the edge of the wooden divider as Merlin began absentmindedly smiling to himself. Arthur grinned.

"So, when do I get to meet her?" he asked. Merlin's head jerked up as he looked at Arthur in shock.

"What? Who said anything about you meeting her?" he said.

"I did." Arthur retorted cheekily, Merlin stood up and opened his mouth to say something but Arthur cut him off "Now, now, Merlin. Calm down. I only want you to introduce me to her." Merlin frowned.

"I don't think that's a very good idea." He said as he grabbed Arthur's jacket.

"Why not?" Arthur asked as he let Merlin help him into his jacket.

"Well, because if she meets you there's not much chance that she'll ever look at me again." he said humbly. Arthur turned around to face him.

"Merlin, from what I saw last night, she seemed to really like you too. I don't think that she'll even acknowledge me properly." He said, resting his hand on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin looked unsurely into Arthur's eyes.

"I don't know. I still don't like the idea." He said. Arthur removed his hand. This had gone far enough; all he wanted was to meet the girl. His intentions were completely honourable. But if Merlin was truly in love with this girl it was very likely that he couldn't see that. Arthur would have to use his last resort.

"Well, then maybe Gaius would be interested in his assistant's night time activities." He said, regretting it as soon as the words left his mouth. Merlin's eyes widened and he stared at Arthur, his face full of hurt. Damn it, Merlin! Stop looking at me like that, Arthur thought. He bullied Merlin a lot but that didn't mean he didn't care. Quite on the contrary, he cared a lot for Merlin. There was a bond between them, one he could never describe, almost like they were destined to make it through everything together. But that was stupid, there was no such thing as destiny.

"That was low." Merlin said, bringing Arthur out of his thoughts and into reality. Arthur looked away from Merlin's heartbreaking face.

"I know, I'm sorry." He said, Merlin sighed. Arthur looked to him, "All I want is to say hello. I swear on my life." Merlin fought with himself for a few seconds.

"Ok then." He said unsurely. Arthur grinned triumphantly, "But please don't tell Gaius. Or anyone actually." Arthur nodded sincerely.

"Of course." He said, his face becoming sombre. Suddenly a thought hit Arthur, "Do you know what this means?" Merlin frowned in confusion.

"That you've agreed to do something that isn't for you?" he said. Arthur ignored Merlin's sarcastic comment.

"No. This means that you're finally trusting me with something no one else knows." He said, grinning.

"Wow! That's a big step in our relationship." Merlin said, "Would now be a good time for a hug?"

"No, Merlin. There is never a good time for a hug. Give up." Arthur said taking a mocking step away from Merlin, who was grinning at him, "Well go on then. Go get her." Merlin frowned.

"What?" he said in confusion.

"Introduce us." Arthur said. Was it not obvious enough? Well, as Merlin once sarcastically said to him, love makes you do funny things. But then again, he did funny things anyway. Merlin walked out of Arthur's room, still looking rather bemused. Arthur shook his head. How wrong he was when he thought that this day would never come.


	2. Courting Freya

As Merlin walked along the corridor away from Arthur's chambers he thought about what had just happened. For once, Arthur seemed genuinely interested in Merlin's life. And there wasn't anything in it for him. It was kinda of scary thinking that Arthur was finally seeing Merlin for who he really was. It was about time! How many times had he had to save Arthur's royal backside without any reward or any acknowledgement? But still, it was all very, very strange. Almost too strange…

Maybe there was something in it for him. It was the perfect opportunity to make an idiot out of Merlin and he knew that was one of Arthur's favourite pastimes. Or maybe he just wanted to humiliate both of them further than he already had by watching them last night. Or maybe, just maybe, Merlin was looking too far into this and Arthur truly did just want to meet Freya… Freya…

What would she say when she found out that Merlin had agreed to this without asking her? He didn't want to think about it but something was telling Merlin that she wouldn't mind. But he didn't want to get his hopes up. He would just tell her and apologise. She'd probably laugh at him. In a nice way. Freya was too kind to be horrible to anyone, especially Merlin.

As Merlin crossed the courtyard he was pretty sure that Arthur was watching him from his chambers. It was a pain that his window was looking out onto the courtyard; because that was the place he and Freya liked to go on their dates. It was quiet at that time in the evenings and there was usually no one else there. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Arthur standing at his window. So as he reached the centre of the courtyard Merlin added in a little skip for good measure. In the distance he heard Arthur laugh at him. As he reached the gates he turned around and saluted sarcastically. Grinning widely Merlin entered the lower town.

XXX

"You agreed to this?" Freya repeated, resting her hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow. Merlin looked at her sheepishly, "Honestly, you really can be quite stupid, can't you." Merlin stayed silent, afraid Freya would become angry. Instead she burst out laughing. Merlin looked at her in confusion.

"You're not angry?" he asked, vacating his wooden chair and moving to stand closer to her.

"No." she said, shaking her head, "I could never be angry with you, Merlin." He grinned and pulled her close to him, her hips touching his.

"I don't know, Arthur certainly finds it very easy." He said sarcastically, "So you'll meet him?"

"Yes. In fact, why don't we get it over with quickly?" Freya said, kissing him lightly on the cheek and picking up her shawl. Merlin frowned.

"What? Now?" he asked, lifting her hair from her neck so that she could put on her shawl.

"Well, unless you're too scared?" she asked mockingly. He grinned at her.

"Me? Scared? Never." Merlin said, kissing her gently. Freya smiled then turned to look in the mirror beside the door of her small house. As she brushed her hair and sorted her appearance, Merlin daydreamed.

He was lucky, or not as the case may be, that an old friend had recently passed away. Usually the people of the lower town didn't leave wills but as chance would have it, this certain old lady did. And she left the house to Merlin, who of course had no need for it. But Freya couldn't stay in Gaius's quarters; it had been causing a certain amount of gossip related to the intimacy of Freya and Merlin's relationship, along with a number of jokes. Most of which would have been supplied by Arthur, had he known. Instead, many other servants took his place, much to the joy of Merlin.

So he gave the house to Freya. It only had one main room and a tiny box room which was about half the size of Merlin's. Freya slept in a bed in the main room. In fact, now he thought about it, Merlin realised that Freya's house was not unlike Gwen's.

Freya was straightening out her plain dress. Even though it was brown and quite normal, it set off her beautiful brown eyes. How blessed he was that it was Camelot she was brought to. Merlin could never get his head around the fact that she had fallen in love with him as he had fallen in love with her. The most beautiful woman he had ever met was his, and no one could take that away from him, not even Arthur and his classically handsome looks. Not even death could come between us, Merlin thought to himself, not even if it tried. I would sacrifice my life a thousand times over and more to save her. And even then if I died we would still be together. Our love is stronger than anything, Merlin thought, even stronger than her curse…

"How do I look?" she asked Merlin, turning around to face him. She frowned as she noticed his dreamy expression, "What?" Merlin shrugged, moving forward.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how beautiful you look." He said truthfully. She smiled.

"Oh? And what do you want?" she asked sarcastically. He grinned, turning her around gently and walking her out of the door.

"To get this over with would be nice." He said, closing the door behind him and linking their arms as they walked back towards the castle.

XXX

As they reached Arthur's chambers, Freya and Merlin held hands.

"Nervous?" Merlin asked her as they stopped before Arthur's door.

"Not in the slightest." She said, sticking her nose in the air in a pompous manner. Merlin smiled. He raised his hand and, taking a deep breath, he knocked three times.

"Enter." Came the blunt reply. Merlin grinned at a rather petrified looking Freya before he turned the handle and opened the door.

XXX

As per usual, Arthur was seated at his desk looking rather bored. Evidently he had been expecting Merlin to be quicker than he had been. On sighting the two of them he jumped up, almost running across the room to greet them. Merlin eyed him suspiciously; unsure as to whether Arthur's happiness was a good or bad sign. In the past, Merlin had experienced a lot of trouble due to Arthur being too joyful for his own good. Most of the time this involved Arthur being enchanted in one way or another. Although this time, Merlin thought, he's probably just happy he got his own way again. Arthur glanced to Merlin, giving him a please-introduce-us look.

"Sire, this is Freya, my… companion." Merlin said unsurely, looking to Freya who was clearly trying to suppress laughter, "Freya, this is Arthur, King of Camelot." Arthur nodded at the mention of his name. Freya curtsied to him and Arthur took her hand, kissing it lightly.

"My Lady." Arthur said politely. Having noticed the rather disturbed look on Merlin's face, Arthur let go of Freya's hand, "You certainly are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen." Freya smiled shyly and Merlin was sure he visibly tensed. What did Arthur think he was doing? He had promised that he wouldn't lay a finger on her, Merlin thought as he put his arm protectively around Freya's waist, "What I mean is Merlin said you were very beautiful and you are, most definitely." Arthur back tracked furiously, sensing Merlin's defensive position, "But you have Merlin, I would never court you, or would, because you are very worthy of love-"

"If you'll pardon me, sire, I think what you're trying to say is that I'm not your type." Freya said helpfully. Arthur nodded vigorously.

"Exactly, yes, that's exactly what I meant." Arthur said, shooting Freya a thankful glance. Merlin relaxed slightly. He had overreacted, again. Arthur didn't appear to fancy Freya at all, he just seemed keen to compliment her without getting to Merlin. And he had failed. But nevertheless, his heart was in the right place. Merlin nodded discretely to Arthur in a very I-understand-what-you-meant way, "It was nice to meet you Freya but please excuse me; I have training to do." Freya nodded and curtsied. Arthur and Merlin exchanged a bob of the head but before any of them could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter." Arthur said loudly. The door opened and Morgana walked into the room. She looked slightly startled by Freya's presence but didn't interfere.

"Arthur." She said, addressing the king, "May I have a word with you?"

"Of course. I was just about to go to training. Perhaps you would walk with me?" Arthur suggested.

"As you wish, my Lord." She replied mockingly. Arthur grinned and, as he approached Morgana, he held out his arm. She took it and gracefully exited the room with him.

"Have fun you two." Arthur said over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.

Merlin sighed deeply with relief. Turning to Freya he realised her reaction was exactly the same.

"I'm so glad that's over." he said as he hugged her close to him. He felt her smile against his shoulder and, taking advantage of her mood, he pulled away far enough to look into her eyes, "Now it's just you and me." Freya returned his flirty grin, explicitly aware of the direction Merlin wanted to take the moment…


	3. Coming And Going

As Gwen walked down the corridor she noticed a group of children playing in the courtyard and, having nothing much to do, she stopped to watch them. As a child, Gwen had never had many friends, mainly due to the fact that she was always helping her father at work. Her mother had died when she was very young and since then she felt it her duty to look after her father and stop him from getting lonely. In a way it was almost a selfish action. She didn't want him to find another woman; she would never be Gwen's mother. But all the same, her helping him out made him happy.

When she had turned twelve, Morgana had been brought to Camelot following her father's death. She had been so thin and frail when she had arrived, eleven years old and certainly not prepared for a parent's death. Gwen had been appointed her maid and due to the qualities and experiences they shared in common, the girls became close friends. But even then, Gwen had to remember her place as a servant. She could be there for Morgana but they could never be equal even if they wanted to be, Uther would never hear of it.

Now, watching the playing children, Gwen looked back and she wished that she had had that kind of childhood. One which was care free. One where there was never a place to be, only the place where the happiness and ecstasy of the moment were the only things that existed. But she had been forced to grow up quickly by the circumstances. Gwen smiled absent mindedly as the sound of their laughter took her away from harsh reality and, more importantly, Arthur…

Speak of the devil, Gwen thought as she heard his voice.

"Guinevere?" he asked as he approached her in the corridor, Morgana on his arm, "Do you not have work to be doing?" Gwen curtsied.

"Yes, sire. Excuse me." She said graciously. He smiled at her and to stop her legs giving way, Gwen was forced to look away. She walked past Arthur and, giving Morgana a quick smile, she walked back down the corridor.

XXX

After wandering the castle corridors for a minute or two, Gwen decided that she had better find some work to do. She had finished all her work in Morgana's chambers earlier that morning, so she decided to see if Merlin needed any help with his chores. Assuming that he would still be in Arthur's chambers she turned down the corridor that would take her there.

Now she thought about it though, she hadn't seen Merlin all day, or the evening before either… Still, I'll just go and check, Gwen thought. As she approached Arthur's door she could have sworn she heard an odd moaning noise. Pausing for a second, she decided it was just her imagination. But opening the door, she realised she was wrong.

It took her eyes at least ten seconds to realise what she was seeing. She blinked, making sure that she wasn't hallucinating.

Merlin was definitely there alright. And so was a girl, one Gwen had never seen before. But this wasn't what startled her. It was the fact that they were in bed together. Well, on the bed together. But that was just as intimate. Several items of clothing lay discarded on the floor and Merlin was bare from the waist up. The girl was still wearing her dress although her shawl seemed to have found its way onto the bedside table. She was on top of Merlin, locked in a passionate kiss, her hair caressing his cheek, almost covering their faces for view. But Gwen had seen enough to know that this wasn't a good time. As Merlin moaned loudly, he rolled over so that he was on top of the girl. And with that, Gwen turned on her heel, almost running out of the room.

XXX

As she leant against the wall, Gwen sighed deeply, relieved to have escaped before things got any worse. She blushed as the mental image of Merlin and the girl popped into her head. She would never have thought that Merlin was that sort of man. Not in a million years.

But before she had any time to think over her reaction, Arthur and Morgana rounded the corner, heading for Arthur's quarters. Without thinking, Gwen stepped in front of the door, preventing them from going any further. Arthur looked up.

"Oh Guinevere, I thought you were doing your work?" he asked, stopping in front of her. Oh bugger, Gwen thought, think of something quickly idiot! What Merlin was doing might be morally wrong but he's still a friend and he would do the same if it were me…

"Oh well, you see, it's a funny story actually." Gwen stuttered, trying to buy herself more time, "I was going to get your breakfast tray because I thought it hadn't been delivered to the kitchen. But I went into your chambers, sire, and I realised that it had been taken and I had just forgotten, you see." Arthur frowned slightly, evidently confused by her babbling. He looked to Morgana who shrugged slightly.

"Ok…" Arthur said, turning back to Gwen, who could feel her face heating up. Arthur looked to Morgana, "I'll just go and fetch some fresh parchment. You try and find out what the hell's the matter with Guinevere." He turned around and walked back down the corridor, giving Gwen a funny sideways look before turning around the corner.

As Gwen sighed with relief, she noticed that Morgana was staring at her, one eyebrow raised.

"What was that about?" Morgana asked, smiling slightly.

"Um…" Gwen said, trying to think of an excuse for her behaviour. She soon discovered there wasn't one. Should I tell Morgana the truth? She would understand, in fact, she would probably love the thought that she knew something Arthur didn't, "It's Merlin." Morgana, grinned.

"Oh? What about him?" she said mischievously, evidently getting the wrong idea.

"Oh no! I mean, he's in there…" Gwen said, struggling to find a kind way to phrase it, "With a girl. Merlin's in there with girl and I really don't think you would want to disturb them." Morgana's mouth dropped open.

"Merlin is with a girl? In Arthur's chamber?" she repeated, so shocked that she was almost laughing.

"In Arthur's bed." Gwen added quietly. But not quietly enough. Morgana laughed.

"No way! I have to see this." She said, pushing past Gwen and quietly opening the door as her maid began to protest.

XXX

After getting the parchment he needed, Arthur headed back to his chambers. Morgana had come to see him as she had had word from a friend in a small town, not far from Ealdor, that a young woman wished to have an audience with him. Apparently she wanted to appeal for funding to fix up the orphanage that she ran. And as Arthur was a kind and noble man he told Morgana that he would agree.

As he reached his chambers, Arthur spotted Morgana and Gwen peering in. From what he could see, Morgana seemed to be finding what ever they were looking at rather amusing. Gwen, on the other hand, appeared to be finding it hard to look at. Intrigued, Arthur strode towards them. As he got closer, Gwen noticed him.

"Please don't, sire-" she said, attempting to step in his path. But Arthur was expecting that.

"I'm sorry but I would like to see what is going on in my chambers…" Arthur trailed off as he noticed what was happening.

XXX

Merlin moaned with pleasure for the umpteenth time. He was lying on Arthur's bed, propping himself up by his elbows. Freya was on top of him, kissing his neck and breathing heavily. She passionately massaged the lump in Merlin's trousers as he thrust in time. As Merlin reached his climax his body arched off the bed and, moaning Freya's name, he felt pleasure surge through his body as he came into his trousers. Merlin's arms collapsed beneath him and he flopped onto the bed, panting with exhaustion. But he didn't have much time to relax before things went horribly wrong…

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice echoed slightly around the room as Merlin sat up suddenly, his heart thumping against his chest heavily. He blushed a deep red as he saw Arthur, Morgana and Gwen standing by the door. Gwen looked slightly queasy and was trying not to make eye contact. Morgana, however, was grinning widely, and as their eyes met, she winked. But Merlin was concentrating more on Arthur, whose glare he could feel burning his skin as he swung his legs off the bed and stood up. As Merlin looked into the king's eyes, his heart stopped momentarily. Arthur's fierce look sent ripples of terror through Merlin's veins, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Arthur roared.

"I… we were just…" Merlin looked around frantically; Arthur raised his eyebrows and waited for a reply. Merlin didn't have one, "We were just… going." Arthur frowned mockingly, moving towards Merlin.

"Going, Merlin, or coming?" Arthur said sarcastically, stopping in front of Merlin and resting his hands on his hips. Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"That was a bad joke." He said.

"And that's important when you're standing in my chambers half dressed, is it?" Arthur asked. Merlin hesitated, unsure of how to respond, "I didn't think so. Now get out!" Merlin started and, throwing Freya her shawl, grabbed his shirt and jacket. Merlin threw on his shirt and took Freya's hand. After half running out of the servant's door and into the corridor, Merlin and Freya went their separate ways with nothing but an awkward goodbye.

XXX

Arthur stood in silence, staring at the bed. There was a weird feeling deep inside of him, one that he had never felt before, one he couldn't describe. But some how he knew what it was. Jealousy. Again. But not just ordinary jealousy, one so strong he could have physically ripped Merlin's throat out there and then. How dare he touch a woman in that way! And in Arthur's chambers!

"Arthur?" Morgana said gently, moving to rest her hand on his shoulder, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Arthur replied, turning around to face her. He could see the worry in her eyes. She'd known him for a long time and Arthur knew she could see the anger boiling just behind his eyes. But he wasn't going to give in to his rage. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, "Now what were we doing?"


	4. Walk the Walk

**Note to readers: I know, it's a terrible title. Things are about to get interesting though. I mean like really interesting. Oh and sorry for the cliffhanger. Only yoking, I'm not sorry. Mwah-ha-ha. Love you all really. And murkey bucket for the reviews; it's really nice to hear what you think! Enjoy.**

Merlin marched through the door and into Gaius' chambers with such force that for a spilt second Merlin thought that it would rebound straight into his face. Gaius jerked his head up.

"Merlin? I thought you were doing Arthur's chores." He asked as Merlin whirled around and closed the door.

"Um, he didn't need me." Merlin said striding across the room. Gaius gave him a funny looked as he walked past.

"What's that on your trousers?" he asked, indicating to the wet patch. Merlin heart stopped momentarily, causing his pace to falter slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Gaius.

"Nothing." Merlin stated, walking straight past a rather concerned looking Gaius and into his room.

XXX

Slamming the door behind him, Merlin's legs collapsed beneath him and he sunk to the floor with a dull thud. Idiot idiot idiot! Merlin threw his head back against the door. How could he have been so stupid! What possessed him to get that far with Freya in Arthur's chambers!

What would Arthur say to him next time they saw each other? Merlin groaned realising that they would see each other again at lunch. That was only a few short hours away! How was he going to live that down? If Arthur wasn't angry with him then he would at least bully Merlin about it for every second of the day from then on. Life would be more than the living hell it already was.

And Freya. Oh God, Merlin exclaimed internally. He loved her and, in a way, he was quite happy that had all happened, but it was scary. And the thing that scared him most was the fact that when they left each other in the corridor they could barely make eye contact. Hardly touching each other as they walked away…

Brilliant, Merlin thought. Not only have I made a complete idiot of myself but I have also ruined everything with the girl I love. Fantastic. Just wonderful.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Merlin threw himself onto the bed just in time to turn around to see Gaius opening the door. Placing his jacket conveniently over his lap, Merlin looked up. Gaius sat down on the bed beside him and before long the silence became unbearable.

"So…" Merlin said, unable to look Gaius in the eye, "Was there something you wanted?"

"Yes, Merlin, I need to talk to you." Gaius replied. Merlin waited for him to continue, "That mark on your trousers." Damn, Merlin thought, "It's not 'nothing', is it?" Cover it up with a smart-arse comment, Merlin thought as he shifted uneasily.

"Well, no, because if it were it wouldn't exist." Merlin said, grinning at Gaius who simply raised an eyebrow.

"Merlin, I think you're old enough now for us to have a little chat about women…" he said. Merlin didn't like the sound of the general direction that sort of chat was heading…

XXX

By lunch time Arthur was starving, which was odd as he hadn't done as much training as usual that morning. He plonked himself down at the table and waited. As usual, Merlin was late. Probably with Freya, Arthur thought to himself, clenching his fists as he thought of earlier.

He was still furious with Merlin. And Merlin would be made aware of that as soon as he walked through the door… and after Arthur had finished his lunch. But still, Arthur was not going to just let it go.

Maybe I should listen to what he has to say about it, Arthur thought as he picked at the wood of the table. If anything it would just be quite funny to see what pathetic excuses Merlin could conjure up. Arthur's stomach growled. What would also be useful, he thought, would be if Merlin could conjure up a decent meal.

As Arthur reached the verge of desperation Merlin burst through the door carrying a tray of food.

"About time!" Arthur said, sitting up as Merlin set the tray down on the table.

"I'm sorry, sire." Merlin said as he made a strange jerky bow in Arthur's direction, "If that's all…" he continued as he made his way to the door.

"Sit down, Merlin." Arthur said with his mouth half full, "Nice try." Merlin reluctantly sat down opposite Arthur. It only took Arthur a few minutes to shovel down his lunch. Pushing his plate back, Arthur sank into his chair.

"For once that wasn't bad." He stated, grinning at Merlin. Merlin smiled back at him queasily. Arthur rolled his eyes, "About earlier, Merlin, yes I'm angry but I understand your feelings for her." Merlin frowned.

"I thought you were going to sack me?" he said as he studied Arthur's expression.

"No. I was going to. I was also going to shout at you but somehow I can't bring myself to. By the look on your face I'd say you're pretty sorry that that all happened." Arthur said. Merlin sighed.

"I don't know. In a way, but…" he said, trailing off.

"But?" Arthur asked.

"I…" Merlin choked on his words so Arthur waited. After a few seconds Merlin took a deep breath, "I can talk to you can't I?"

"Yes." Arthur said, nodding uncertainly. Merlin bobbed his head along.

"Good." He said. The room went into silence as Arthur waited for Merlin to explain himself further. He didn't. Arthur grew impatient.

"What is it, Merlin?" he asked.

"Well, I… I've never… I've never had…" Merlin stuttered, going red. Arthur suddenly grasped what Merlin was trying to say.

"Oh!" Arthur said in realisation, "Well neither have I so I can't help you there." But Merlin didn't seem to be paying too much attention.

"I want to. I want her so badly." He said, more to himself than anyone, "But every time we get close she stops me, like she's waiting for something…" Arthur internally rolled his eyes. Waiting for something. Merlin really was quite thick.

"She's waiting for what most women wait for in an intimate relationship." Arthur said. Merlin frowned at him.

"What's that?" he asked. This time, Arthur really did roll his eyes.

"Ask her to marry you." He said.

"Right." Merlin agreed. But then he froze, "Wait, what?" Arthur grinned at Merlin's stupidity.

"Ask her to marry you." Arthur repeated.

"Um, how do I do that?" Merlin asked idiotically, obviously finding marriage a rather hard thing to deal with.

"You get down on one knee, propose a marriage, and then get married." Arthur said in a rather patronising voice.

"Ok, that seems simple enough." Merlin said, relaxing slightly.

"Of course, that's if she says yes…" Arthur added and, much to his delight, Merlin sat up suddenly.

"Wait, she could say no?" he asked in disbelief. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Well yes, she's not illiterate. I gather she has mastered the art of speech and has the word 'no' in her vocabulary." He said sarcastically, grinning in spite of himself. Merlin, however, didn't seem to find it quite so funny.

"Oh God she could say no…" he said, evidently distraught by that piece of information. Arthur sighed. He hated watching Merlin fighting with himself, though he'd never let anyone see that.

"She won't." Arthur assured him, resting a hand gently on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin looked into Arthur's eyes.

"Are you sure?" Merlin said doubtfully.

"Yes." Arthur said bluntly. Over the past few years, he had learnt that that was the only way to get Merlin to believe him. Merlin studied Arthur's face for a good few seconds before he finally stood up.

"Ok then, I'll do it." He said, grinning widely. Arthur mirrored his expression. Merlin turned around and headed for the door.

"Wait." Merlin stopped and turned to face Arthur in confusion. Arthur continued, "Do you have a ring?"

"No." Merlin said, frowning, "Do I need one?" Arthur rolled his eyes. Merlin really was a whole new level of stupidity.

"Yes." Arthur said, smirking slightly. Merlin didn't seem to notice.

"I'll buy one from the market; she likes things that are unique." He said nonchalantly.

"Are you sure you won't chicken out?" Arthur joked, suppressing a smile.

"No, of course I won't." Merlin said, although he seemed to be trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Arthur. Arthur grinned as he stood up and made his way over to Merlin.

"Well… good luck then." He said, patting Merlin on the back.

"Thanks, I'll need it." Merlin replied as he walked out of the door.

Arthur closed it behind him and, unable to stop himself, collapsed into a chair and began to laugh uncontrollably in shock.

XXX

As Merlin headed for Freya's house, he couldn't help but run. The adrenaline pumping through his veins made him feel like he could take on the whole of Camelot's army alone. Slowing down as he reached the crowded streets of the lower town, Merlin put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small package. He gently unwrapped the brown paper and, taking care not to walk into any one, Merlin studied the simple gold ring.

After deciding that buying a ring from the market wasn't particularly romantic, Merlin had dug through his possessions until he found the small parcel containing the ring his mother had given him as a farewell gift when he left for Camelot. It was perfect.

Although the gold was looking slightly worse for ware, the tiny engravings were still clear and beautiful. Merlin ran his finger gently over the characters; the bear, the wolf, the horse, the stag and the eagle. He smiled absentmindedly, but as he reached Freya's door, Merlin had the understandable urge to run… or simply vomit. Taking a deep breath, Merlin knocked loudly, and tried to pull himself together as the noise of the knocks resounded in his head.

XXX

"Freya?" Merlin called as he peered his head around the door. Although it was mid-afternoon, Freya's house was quite dim inside, so it took Merlin a few seconds to spot Freya sitting on her bed. She was staring straight ahead, glaring at the wall with such fierceness that it was surprising the wall was still standing. Merlin quietly entered the room and as he shut the door behind him, Freya looked up from her trance. As she realised it was Merlin, she stood up in surprise.

"Merlin?" she asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Arthur."

"He didn't need me." Merlin replied, still hovering by the door uncertainly.

"He didn't sack you, did her?" Freya asked worriedly. Merlin shook his head.

"No. He was very understanding… In fact," Merlin said, moving forward to stand in front of Freya. He took a deep breath and continued, "He made a suggestion, an idea I hadn't thought of until he mentioned it. And now, I can't believe how stupid I was not to have seen it in the first place…" Merlin trailed off. A small frown creased on Freya's forehead.

"What? I don't understand." She said as Merlin slipped his hand into his pocket.

It's now or never, Merlin thought as he gazed into Freya's eyes. If you don't do it now, you'll regret it, Merlin tried to convince himself. There's nothing stopping you.

But there was.

What if she thinks that this is all because of what happened in Arthur's chambers? What if she's angry about it? What if she says no? Merlin swallowed loudly. Not only would it be embarrassing, but it would break Merlin's heart. He couldn't take it if she rejected him. No, remember what Arthur said, Merlin told himself, she won't. She would never say no, she loves Merlin and he loves her back. Surely that's enough.

But what if it wasn't? Maybe this was one of Arthur's big practical jokes and he actually thought that Merlin had no chance. Maybe he shouldn't ask Freya to marry him. Merlin closed his eyes and bowed his head. Stop it! You'll never know unless you try, Merlin thought to himself.

Shaking his head, Merlin opened his eyes. Freya was watching him carefully, with a slightly worried expression on her face. Do it, do it, do it!

And before he could change his mind, Merlin pulled the ring from his pocket and got down onto one knee.

"Freya, will you marry me?"


	5. Lost In The Moment

Freya stared back at Merlin in utter shock. Her mind froze. But as a single tear drop fell from her cheek, her mind suddenly began to over flow with thoughts.

Merlin had just asked her to marry him. Truly, madly, deeply asked her to marry him, there and then. No joke, no nothing.

In fact, Freya was so shocked she half expected Merlin just to jump up and double up laughing, telling her that she should have seen her face. But he didn't. He was there, right in front of her, down on one knee and holding a betrothal ring.

Asking her to marry him.

A thousand emotions flooded through Freya's mind; happiness, shock, love, even nausea. A thousand emotions, some she had never even felt before now, emotions that didn't have a name, not a word to go with them. Except one.

Yes.

Feeling slightly light headed, Freya suddenly remembered that she hadn't been breathing since Merlin had knelt down. As she began to breath again, Freya gave Merlin the answer he had been waiting for.

"Yes." Freya replied, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. Merlin stood up suddenly.

"Yes?" he said, looking disbelievingly into Freya's smiling eyes.

"Yes." Freya said smiling as Merlin tried unsuccessfully to hide his triumphant grin. Gently, he slid the gold ring onto Freya's finger.

"You do realise that you've just agreed to spend your whole life with me despite all of my irritating traits." Merlin said as he looked into her eyes. Freya laughed as Merlin picked her up and spun her around and, as he kissed her, she felt something change inside her.

As she and Merlin kissed passionately, lost in the moment, Freya felt the chains of the curse that bound her heart, break and fall away. Merlin and Freya's love had broken the curse that made her a beast every night. And that's when she knew. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

XXX

Freya woke up and gently rubbed her eyes. She could hear birds singing from outside and the rays of morning sun light shone through the window above her bed. For the first time in years, Freya felt at home. The warmth of the sun and the body lying beside her made her feel safe, almost invincible. Stretching her arms out in front of her, Freya noticed something glistening on her finger. She let her hands down and smiled as she twisted her betrothal ring around on her finger. The slightly worn gold felt familiar on her skin and the tiny engraved characters made her smile widely with such joy that it was almost unrealistic.

"Do you like it?" Merlin murmured into her ear. Freya turned to face him.

"Yes, it's beautiful." She said truthfully.

"And so are you." He said, kissing her neck and shoulders. She smiled and returned his kisses. Merlin stopped and shifted slightly, "You know, I think we might need a bigger bed." Freya laughed and snuggled against Merlin's neck.

"I can't believe it." Freya murmured more to herself than anyone, but Merlin was listening.

"Believe what?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"We're getting married." She said. Merlin laughed.

"I know. And Arthur thought I would chicken out…" Merlin trailed off, sitting up suddenly. Freya sat up too.

"What's wrong?" she asked, clutching the bed sheets to her chest.

"Arthur. I'm late for work." Merlin said, scrambling to find his clothes. Freya threw him his jacket and once he was dressed he walked over to her. Bending over, Merlin kissed her on the forehead and she responded by kissing his neck.

"I really have to go; I missed last night, so I can't miss this morning too. I have to go." Freya heard Merlin mumble, "I have to go." He repeated. Freya smiled as she pushed his jacket off his shoulders. He didn't argue. Instead he gave in with a guilty sigh.

XXX

It was midmorning and Arthur was going through some reports from the lower town. If he had realised that being a king would involve so much paper work he wouldn't have taken it up.

Arthur threw down the pen in frustration. He was unbelievably bored. Merlin would have made him laugh at this point. He would have told him to stop being such a stroppy little girl and get on with his work. Arthur smiled absentmindedly.

Because of Merlin's… absence in the morning, Gwen had brought Arthur his breakfast. Arthur's smile widened as he remembered how she had stayed with him for nearly an hour after he had finished eating. They had talked and joked about everything, mainly focusing on Merlin's whereabouts and how they thought he got on last night.

Gwen had smiled and told him that Merlin would probably be in Arthur's chambers pining if Freya had said no, so that fact that he was wasn't there probably meant it had gone well. Arthur had laughed as Gwen's impression of Merlin proposing had ended up Irish, a trait that would have probably suited Merlin's quirky characteristics.

When she'd had to go, Arthur had kissed her on the cheek spontaneously, surprising himself as much as he had evidently surprised Gwen. She had smiled back at him and, with a slightly dazed look on her face, then exited the room in a dream like state.

A sudden banging noise from down the corridor brought Arthur out of his daydreams and back into reality. Marching across the room to see what had made the noise; Arthur was slightly startled when Merlin burst through the door, throwing a rather guilty look behind him as he walked in.

As Merlin closed the door Arthur took in his appearance. He was wearing the same clothes as he had been when he had left Arthur almost a day ago and the colourful fabric was creased, much like night clothes were in the morning. Underneath his jacket, Merlin's shirt was slightly lopsided with one shoulder right up by the neck and the other half way down his arm. Apart from the rather rushed looking clothing, there was nothing much different about Merlin. However, as Merlin began to walk backwards, Arthur could see that Merlin's hair was messy and in several places, unruly tufts were sticking up. Well obviously someone got lucky, Arthur thought to himself, grinning.

Merlin spun around quickly and as he faced Arthur, he started, evidently not expecting Arthur to be stood so close.

"Arthur?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh! You still recognise me then." Arthur said sarcastically, "After all these years." Merlin looked guilty.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was heading over here about an hour ago but then I got… distracted." He said, blushing slightly. Arthur turned back to the table in an attempt to hide his smile. But as he sat down and looked back at Merlin he snorted loudly.

"What?" Merlin asked self-consciously.

"Hair, Merlin." Arthur replied, indicating to his scruffy form, "And sort out that shirt too." He grinned as Merlin began to wildly flatten his hair and clothes in alarm.

"I assume this means she said yes." Arthur commented, trying to hide the fact he was actually quite excited about Merlin's answer. Merlin grinned widely.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Don't even think about trying to hug me." Arthur said jokingly as Merlin made to move over to the table. He grinned.

"Well, can I throw something at you then?" Merlin asked, pouting slightly.

"You try and Freya will be marrying a corpse." Arthur threatened mockingly. Merlin laughed.

"I still can't believe it though! I'm getting married…" Merlin said, running his hand through his hair as he paled slightly. Arthur grinned in spite of himself.

"Well, you have to grow up one day." He said to Merlin, who was lowering himself into the chair opposite Arthur, a pained expression on his face. After bearing the excruciating silence for no more than ten seconds, Arthur snapped, "So, do you have a date?"

"A what?" Merlin murmured, staring at what seemed like nothing.

"A date, for the wedding." Arthur said. Merlin dragged himself from his trance and looked to Arthur.

"Um, no." he replied, still in a rather dream like state. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"What is the matter, Merlin?" he asked in frustration, "You've been acting very strangely." Merlin came right out of his little world.

"No I haven't." he said, giving Arthur a nasty look of plain denial, "Why is it always your business to know everything?" Suddenly, Merlin got up and marched out of the room, leaving a rather shocked Arthur wondering what exactly had happened.

XXX

As Merlin stormed down the corridor, he almost walked straight into a kitchen maid carrying a rather large pile of dishes.

"Watch where you're going!" he yelled at her as she jumped backwards, a look of pure terror on her face.

Why did there always have to be something wrong? Could he not just be in a bad mood for the sake of it? It wasn't like he knew why he was in a bad mood. He should have been happy. Freya had just accepted his proposal. So why wasn't he happy?

He was. He was just too damn scared to let go of everything and just be happy. It was a big step for Merlin to finally grow up and get married, so expecting him to be calm, cool and collective about the whole concept was just asking for too much. And besides, Merlin thought angrily to himself as he marched along the corridor, what would Arthur know about marriage? Nothing.

Merlin smiled smugly, slowing down as he approached the door to the physician's chambers. Now to break the news to Gaius. Whether it was good or bad news, Merlin had yet to decide…

XXX

"And that's when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him." Freya summarised. She was sitting in the main room of Hattie's house at the table, clasping a mug of tea. Hattie, who was sitting opposite her, squealed excitedly, her fiery red curls bouncing around her shoulders. Freya smiled gently as she took a sip of tea.

Hattie had been Freya's only friend when she had moved into her house. She was Freya's next door neighbour and had known Merlin since he had moved to Camelot. The fact that she had been mute since the age of seven, when bandits had attacked her in the woods near her home village, did not impair her in anyway when it came to getting her say however.

Shifting the weight of her one year old daughter, Maia, on her lap, Hattie began to move her hands manically. When she had finished, Freya responded, shaking her head.

"No, we haven't set a date." She replied as she paused to think, "Or anything else for that matter; it just happened so suddenly." Hattie grinned cheekily, making a rather vulgar gesture. Almost choking on her drink, Freya laughed.

"Hattie! Honestly!" she said, blushing slightly. Hattie raised her eyebrows questioningly. Freya sighed and reluctantly replied, "Yes. We did. Twice." Hattie instantly fell about in hysterics and, handing her rather confused daughter over to Freya, doubled over, simultaneously falling onto the floor.

"What? What's so funny?" Freya asked as Hattie literally rolled on the floor laughing. Indicating to Freya, Hattie shook her head, "What, me and Merlin doing… it is funny to you?" Hattie nodded, physically unable to reply in any other way. Freya shook her head and turned to Maia.

"Your mother is very, very mean to me, you know?" she said. Maia giggled and Freya began to stroke her already golden-red hair. Freya looked back to Hattie who had pushed herself into a sitting position, her laughter subsiding slightly.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Hattie nodded to Freya, still grinning widely.

"Come in." Freya called for her. The door opened and, as Merlin walked in, Hattie fell backwards onto the floor and began laughing hysterically again. Merlin watched her in confusion for a few seconds before reacting. Turning slowly to Freya, his eyes still on Hattie, Merlin spoke.

"Do you think I should try the Heimlich manoeuvre?" he asked, as the pitch of Hattie's laughter went into ultrasonic.

"Go on then. And be sure to whack her for me too." Freya laughed. Merlin grinned and, getting down onto his knees beside Hattie, he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her waist. She squirmed as he tightened his grip and before long, both of them were lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, laughing their hearts out. Freya laughed with them and as Maia joined in, she leant back in her chair and let go of all her worries about the future, lost in the moment.


	6. The Day Before The Morning After

Although both Freya, and Merlin, had their doubts about their marriage, it only took a week for Freya to get stuck into making all the preparations for the wedding. In fact, she was very aware that she was beginning to annoy Merlin with her constant stream of ideas that she couldn't help but declare in Merlin's presence. It wasn't exactly her fault that she was excited! She had been waiting for a moment like this all of her life! In fact, every time she realised that she was getting married within a matter of months, a fresh wave of euphoria would wash over her.

Freya would spend most of her days at Hattie's house, planning everything in minute detail and although Merlin had told Freya she could have whatever she wanted for the wedding, Freya had insisted that they have a quiet ceremony with only a few guests. She knew that secretly, Merlin was nothing short of relieved, but he was intent on making sure that Freya could have everything that she wanted, no matter what.

So Freya used her time planning the wedding to perfection. And when she wasn't at Hattie's making plans, she was distracting herself from the excitement by helping Gaius.

In fact, Freya discovered that she was quite good at the whole 'science' lark. She began to help out in the physician's chambers on a regular basis and Gaius was soon referring to her as his new 'assistant' which made Merlin extremely proud. Freya and Gaius would make house calls and often Gaius would let Freya do most of the work, with the exception of complex cases.

But by the time the wedding was a week away, Freya had no time to help out with Gaius, wasting all of her time worrying about every tiny thing. She even dreamt of things going wrong…

XXX

_Freya held the beautiful white dress in one hand, creasing the fabric as she walked through the empty lower town and towards the stables. The only sound was that of her bare feet on the earth, and the only movement was the calm wave of the shrubbery in the silent, eerie breeze. As Freya reached the stable door she began to wonder what had brought her here and for what reason. Gently pushing open the aged wooden door, Freya surveyed the dim interior of the stables warily. Locating the object that she had evidently come for; she advanced towards it and into the shadows. _

_However, as her eyes became accustomed to the dark, it became clear to Freya that she was heading straight for a large knife beside the lit furnace. Realising what was about to happen, Freya decided to leave._

_But nothing happened. _

_Freya tried helplessly to turn away from the blazing fire but she wasn't in control of her movements. No matter how hard she tried to move towards the door, she was still powerless to change the inevitable ending that she feared. Now struggling frantically, Freya began to panic as she picked up the huge knife. As she raised the dress to meet it, the knife gleamed in the moonlight streaming through the door behind her. _

_Suddenly the knife came down on the glowing white material, and as its blade savagely ripped at the fine needlework, Freya screamed in horror. Setting the knife down on the worktop she had found it, Freya threw the dress into the scorching flame and, as the fire consumed the whole of Freya's vision in an explosion of heat, she heard a distant voice break through the dream…_

XXX

"Freya? Freya? Wake up!" a gentle voice echoed, "It's just a dream! You need to wake up! Freya!"

As her eyes began to flicker open, Freya groaned gently. Turning her head to the side, she looked into the anxious face of Michael, Hattie's husband and Maia's father. His floppy brown hair hung so that it almost covered the concerned crease forming in between his eyebrows and his warm chocolate button eyes watched her closely as she sat up in surprise. Hattie, stood not far behind Michael, looked at her expectantly.

"What?" Freya managed to get out. Michael stood up and Hattie snuggled into his shoulder.

"You were having a nightmare by the sounds of it. We could hear you screaming from our house." He stated, his gentle Scottish accent bringing Freya gradually out of her daze. He watched Freya in concern as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and leant forward, resting her head on her knees.

"I'm sorry." Freya said, sitting back up again, "Did I wake Maia?"

"No." Michael said, shaking his head as Hattie sat beside Freya on the bed and gently rubbed her shoulder. Michael crouched in front of Freya and rested his hand on her knee, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Freya lied, "It was just a bad dream, that's all. I mean, it's natural to be having weird dreams from all the nerves, right?" To her left, Freya could see Hattie nodding vigorously and Michael nodded gently too.

"Of course it is Freya." He said. After a few seconds of watching Freya relax slightly, he stood up and smiled warmly at her, "Think about it, tomorrow you'll be getting married." Michael laughed as Freya grimaced. Hattie patted her comfortingly on the shoulder and stood up, taking Michael's hand.

"We'll leave you in peace." He said, leading Hattie to the door, "We left Maia on her own and we ought to get back to her before she wakes up and does herself an injury."

"Thank you." Freya called as they exited the house.

As soon as the door had closed, Freya shot up and ran to the small back room. Heart thumping, Freya threw open the wardrobe and yanked out the beautiful white wedding dress. As Freya's knees collapsed with relief, she slid down the wall and held the dress closely to her chest.

It was just a dream. She didn't really ruin her dress. No. It was just a dream. She couldn't of, it was right here, in her arms, as good as new.

Realising that she was creasing it, Freya jumped back up again and dusted the material off. As she meandered around the room, she gazed at the dress. The material was beautifully soft taffeta. Of course Freya and Merlin hadn't bought it; it would have been much too expensive. But Morgana had insisted on having the dress made. It was long sleeved and the neck was wide, an almost semi-circle that didn't go too low or too high. The dress reached down to the floor and brushed the earth when Freya walked in it. It fitted her perfectly, tracing every curve of her body, showing off her beautiful form.

Sighing as she reluctantly hung her wedding dress back in the wardrobe, Freya shivered with the thought of the day ahead of her.

Merlin had decided that they should have a party the night before the wedding. Freya had agreed but only because it was what Merlin thought that she wanted. And she didn't want to dissolve that illusion. Not so close to the wedding.

So it was the day before the wedding, and the day of the party. The party that was bound to end badly…

XXX

As Arthur ate his lunch, he felt Merlin watch him curiously.

"Yes?" Arthur asked sarcastically, looking up. Merlin shook his head.

"Nothing." Merlin paused before continuing, "I was just wondering whether you were coming to the party tonight." Arthur swallowed heavily.

"I don't know." He replied, "I don't have anyone to go with."

"I'm sure if you asked Gwen she'd be more than happy to attend with you." Merlin grinned. Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Who's going?" he asked, ignoring Merlin's comment. Merlin shrugged gently.

"Morgana, Gwen, Gaius and a number of people from the lower town." He replied, still watching for Arthur's reaction intently. Arthur stared at his food.

Why couldn't Merlin understand that he just didn't want to go, Arthur thought. It wasn't so much the party he wanted to avoid, but Gwen. After the awkward moment the other day, he really didn't want to have to spend a whole night with her because, no doubt, he would. He didn't know any of the people of the lower town. Sure, he knew their faces, but he never really spoke to them. And besides, it would be weird for the king to go to a lower town party. It would be like making love to a horse, it just wouldn't feel right.

Arthur looked up at Merlin, preparing to tell him the truth but Merlin was way ahead of him.

"Oh." Merlin said, "I see. You don't want to come." Arthur internally sighed. He hated it when Merlin made him feel bad about himself.

"It's not like that-" Arthur argued, but Merlin stopped him.

"No, it's alright. I get it." He interrupted, standing up, "You don't want to be seen at a party full of commoners. You are the king, after all. It's fine." Merlin began to make his way to the door and before he could stop himself, Arthur gave in.

"What time does it start?" he asked, making Merlin stop in his tracks. He turned around.

"About half past eight, outside Freya's house." He said, grinning gleefully, "It's going to be cold so remember to bring a jacket. After all, it is winter." Arthur grinned back.

"I won't need to. You're my servant, therefore it's your job to remember." He joked. Merlin frowned.

"You said I could have tonight and tomorrow off." He said.

"So I did." Arthur replied, standing up and marching Merlin to the door.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked.

"If I'm coming to this party, it had better be a night to remember." He said as he pushed Merlin out of his chambers and shut the door behind him.

As Arthur turned back around to lean against the door, he smiled at his own comment. Little did he know that that party would indeed be a night he would remember forever…


	7. That, My Friends, Is A Party

As Gwen brushed her hair in preparation for the party she could already hear starting down the street, her mind drifted to Arthur. Was he going to the party too? No, Gwen told herself, he's the king, he would never go to a party in the lower town. But if he did…

Stop it, Gwen! Even if, by some miracle, he decides to go to the party, there is no way he would ever go with you. Face it, she told herself, she and Arthur getting together would be overstepping the boundaries of social society. Gwen sighed heavily, setting the hairbrush on the shelf.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Gwen rolled her eyes. Probably some drunken idiot, she thought as she made her way to the door. As she threw it open, she primed herself, ready to slap anyone who tried to make any moves.

But she didn't need to. It was Arthur she opened the door to.

"Arthur?" she said in surprise.

"Guinevere." He smiled, making Gwen's heart falter slightly, "I was afraid I might have missed you."

"P-pardon?" Gwen stammered. Arthur's heart stopping grin widened.

"I've come to escort you to the party… if you wish." He said, inclining his head. Gwen just stared at him, opened mouthed. This was clear of sarcastic, beyond ironic, in fact it was almost paradoxical. So much so that Gwen's mind froze completely.

"Yes." Gwen managed, almost physically yanking herself out of her trance, "That would be wonderful. Thank you." As Arthur smiled, so did Gwen. Grabbing her shawl, Gwen took Arthur's hand and they walked together down to Freya's house and towards the night that would change their lives forever.

XXX

As Merlin stood amongst neighbours and friends of the lower town, a gentle murmur broke out. Merlin looked around as the whispering continued, trying to find the source of the obviously juicy gossip. Someone hadn't got drunk already, had they, Merlin thought. No, it was too early for that. Merlin turned to Freya, who was looking slightly bemused.

"What's everyone talking about?" he asked.

"Arthur." She replied simply.

"Don't worry, Freya. He's always 'fashionably' late." Merlin stated, turning his attention back to the pint of ale in his hand, taking a large swig.

"No, really, Merlin. Look at him." She said, laughing in shock at something over Merlin's shoulder, the place where most people were looking. Merlin turned around and very nearly choked on his drink. Freya thumped him on the back, causing him to splutter slightly. As his eyes watered, Merlin could see Arthur make his way through the crowd and, as Merlin's vision cleared, he saw the reason for the whole kerfuffle. Gwen.

Despite having only just started drinking, Merlin was convinced he was hallucinating. He had doubted whether Arthur would actually turn up, let alone physically escort Gwen! But there was no doubt about it. Gwen was on Arthur's arm, as true as the sky in England is usually a murky grey colour.

As Arthur approached Merlin and Freya, Merlin noticed Arthur was grinning uncontrollably, in spite of the fact that everyone was whispering as he passed them. In fact, by the time Arthur reached Merlin and Freya, the party had nearly gone silent.

"Hello Merlin." Arthur said, almost victoriously. Merlin forced a rather surprised smile.

"Arthur. Gwen. Thank you for coming." He replied, giving Arthur a meaningful look before throwing a smile to Gwen.

"Glad to be here." Arthur stated, shaking Merlin's hand, "Congratulations and good luck for tomorrow." He nodded to Freya, who smiled back before resting her head shyly on Merlin's shoulder, in an attempt to hide her face.

"Yes, good luck." Gwen added.

"You are both coming, aren't you?" Merlin asked Arthur and Gwen. They both nodded.

"Of course." Gwen said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Arthur grinned, hitting Merlin's shoulder in a friendly way. Merlin smiled unsurely. Maybe he was drunk. Arthur was never this nice to him. Perhaps he was in a parallel world where the king was friendly to his servants. Merlin laughed internally. Nah, that would never happen Merlin, don't be stupid. As the air began to get awkward Arthur started.

"Would you like a drink?" Arthur said, turning to Gwen. She smiled and nodded.

"A drink would be nice, thank you." She replied. Arthur turned to Merlin.

"Come on then, Merlin. I'm sure Freya would love a drink too." He said, pulling Merlin through the crowd.

"Be back in a minute." Merlin said to Freya over his shoulder. As Merlin and Arthur reached the drinks table, Merlin shook himself free of Arthur's grip.

"What was that about? If you're trying to ruin the party, I will kill you… Unless Freya gets there first, then there's just no hope." Merlin rambled in an accusing manner, convinced that Arthur was up to something. If he was, Merlin didn't want Gwen to get caught up in it and end up getting hurt. After all, Arthur's plans were never exactly 'fool-proof'; Arthur being the fool.

"What on earth are you blathering on about, Merlin?" Arthur asked as he nonchalantly began pouring out drinks.

"You've always wanted to keep your feelings for Gwen a secret. Then it's the night before my wedding and we're having an innocent get together, albeit with a lot of alcohol, and you suddenly escort her in front of everyone!" Merlin said, the pitch of his voice escalating as he spoke. Expecting a sudden explosion of fury from Arthur, a feeling of shock hit Merlin when Arthur simply turned to him, raised an eyebrow and handed him a drink. Merlin looked to the drink in confusion, "So now you're just going to get me drunk?" Arthur laughed.

"No. I'm just here to have a good time and forget about everything." He said, grinning, "Believe it or not, being the king does have its down sides." Arthur began making his way back to Freya and Gwen. Merlin followed him curiously.

"Oh yeah?" Merlin said, "Like what?"

"Like not being able to go out and have fun with some friends." He replied, refusing to make eye contact with Merlin.

"Friends?" he asked. Arthur smiled, stopping to look at Merlin, who also stopped.

"I consider you my friend." Arthur said. Merlin's mouth dropped open slightly as he looked at Arthur in shock. He was expecting some smart arse comment about how he had obviously mistaken Merlin's party for one worth going to, or something of the sort. Merlin furiously shook his head and looked at Arthur.

"I'm just going to pretend you never said that." Merlin stated. Arthur laughed and, thumping Merlin heartily on the back, they made their way back to Freya and Gwen.

XXX

About an hour into the celebrations, Arthur noticed that the people around him had begun to dance to the music being played by a small band of peasants. Stepping to the side as couples old and young pranced and leaped about, clearly enjoying themselves, Arthur surveyed the crowd, looking for Morgana. He spotted her about ten metres away and, as he caught her eye, she winked cheekily. He grinned back as a handsome young peasant asked her for a dance, which she graciously accepted.

Turning his attention back to Merlin and Freya, he laughed as Merlin offered Freya his hand.

"As my fiancé, would you care for a dance?" He asked pompously. Freya laughed.

"Only if I have to." She said, sighing sarcastically as Merlin dragged her away. Arthur watched as Merlin and Freya moved gracefully through the dozens of fellow dancers, each person's eyes never leaving the others. As he continued to gaze at the soon-to-be-wed couple, Arthur's mind drifted off.

Watching Merlin's life unfold before him was like watching something Arthur knew he could never have. Merlin had everything waiting for him: marriage, love, happiness and, God forbid, children. Arthur laughed. He'd have to pray for the children; they would have a buffoon for a father. But a loyal buffoon.

Despite forever bullying Merlin, Arthur had to admit, he did really care for the idiot. A lot. Like a friend. Like a… brother, almost. No. Make that a bother, Arthur thought sarcastically to himself.

"Would you like a drink, your majesty?" a voice said shyly, breaking through Arthur's thoughts. He turned to his left to see a quivering male servant standing next to him, holding a tray of drinks.

"Yes, thank you." Arthur replied, taking a drink, more to prevent the boy from dropping it than to actually drink.

"It's my pleasure, your majesty." He said, bowing deeply, spilling the remaining drinks on the tray slightly as he straightened up again.

"Arthur, call me Arthur." Arthur said, "Just for tonight." He added as the servant grinned ecstatically, his eyes lighting up as he almost dropped the tray again.

"Yes, sire-Arthur." The servant said as he practically skipped away. Arthur shook his head, and turned back to the party, sipping the ale he had acquired from the overexcited servant.

"Are you going to dance, Arthur?" Gwen asked. Arthur almost choked on his drink. He had nearly forgotten that Gwen was still with him.

"I can't dance." He replied, "And besides, I'm having a drink." He said, waving the ale around as Gwen grinned.

"Well finish it then. I can show you how to dance." She said, before adding, "It's easy." Arthur laughed.

"For you, maybe. I, however, cannot dance to save my life." Arthur stated, swigging his drink as an unspoken full stop. Gwen laughed.

"Come on. Unless you just don't want to dance with me personally." She said pouting slightly as Arthur looked at her nervously.

"I don't mean that-" he protested.

"It's quite alright. You don't have to lie to me, Arthur." Gwen said as she began to walk into the crowd of dancers. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Wait." He shouted after her, downing the pint of ale in one. Stumbling after Gwen, as the alcohol he had been drinking all night began to take effect, Arthur doubted whether he would remember anything after that point.

XXX

Pulling Freya to the side of the dance, Merlin collapsed laughing.

"I did… warn you… I couldn't dance!" he said, panting slightly. Freya laughed.

"There was nothing wrong with your dancing, more your lack of coordinative skills." She said sitting on a log bench near Merlin to rest herself, "Tonight I think we have successfully damaged ten dozen people's vital organs and mortally wounded another six." Merlin laughed.

"I hope not. I quite like some of them." He said, shooing Freya off the seat. He sat down and pulled her down onto his lap, allowing her to shift herself so that she was sitting across him, and looking more-or-less straight at him. Freya smiled, brushing Merlin's hair from his face.

"I love you." She said, resting her nose on his.

"I don't blame you." He replied, smiling before kissing her gently. Merlin felt Freya smile against his lips as she returned his kiss with more passion.

Suddenly a booming voice caused them to jump and break apart.

"See! That is love." Arthur said, the crowds parting to let him stumble towards Merlin and Freya, "If we all felt like this the world would be a butter… bitter? Batter? Better! Better place!" Standing up, Merlin placed himself between Freya and an obviously drunk Arthur.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Merlin said cautiously, painfully aware that Arthur often got vicious when he was drunk.

"Alright? Alright! I can see the love between you and your lady and that is what keeps me going." He replied, setting his empty ale beaker on a rickety table. Merlin frowned, still remaining in a defensive position.

"Should I take you back-" he started.

"In fact," Arthur continued, interrupting Merlin, "I bet you want to love her right now don't you?" Arthur grinned stupidly, taking a few more steps in Merlin's direction.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"I bet you just want to rip off her clothes," Arthur said, miming as he spoke, "And you want to take her and love her right now." Merlin's eyes widened. He had never heard Arthur talk like that. In fact, he was almost so shocked he nearly forgot who he was talking to.

"Arthur!" he said, too astonished to respond in any other way. Arthur smiled foolishly.

"Come on! You already have, haven't you?" he continued, "You've already spent the night with her. You can't deny it." Merlin clenched his teeth. How dare Arthur say that! And besides, how did he even know?

"Arthur, just shut up." Merlin said, stepping towards his drunken king.

"I know you want to. You want her now. Who wouldn't? Let's be honest. She's beautiful. Her face, her eyes, her… body." Arthur grinned wickedly as Merlin's fury blazed just behind his eyes, "Take her now, Merlin, or I will."

And that's when Merlin exploded.

"F*** OFF!" Merlin yelled, punching Arthur across the face with all the force he could muster. The on looking crowd gasped as Arthur, who had managed to stay standing despite being drunk and having just taken a blow to the head, began to sway, his eyes coming in and out of focus frequently. Gasping slightly, Merlin took a tentative step towards the king.

"Arthur?" he asked gently. Arthur shook his head lightly and looked up at the people watching him closely. With a lopsided grin, Arthur replied.

"And that, my friends, is a party." He said, before promptly losing consciousness and crumpling into a drunken heap on the ground.


	8. The Hangover

**Note to readers: So, I think we've established that Merlin is an utter BAMF. For real. If only he could be like that in the show. I guess we'll just have to hope for series 4! Please tell me what you think. And don't worry, the wedding is coming up soon! Enjoy.**

Great, Merlin thought. All he had wanted was an innocent party the night before the wedding and Arthur couldn't even manage not to ruin that. What the hell was wrong with him, Merlin thought to himself as he twisted his sore fist around.

After Arthur had collapsed, the party had quickly dispersed, bar a few kind people who had stayed behind to help clean up the mess. Merlin, however, had refused to stay anywhere near the unconscious Arthur, more out of guilt than anger. He had comforted an evidently distraught Freya, until he had insisted that she go to bed, to be well rested for the next day. After leaving her, Merlin had wasted as much time as he could before having nothing left to do apart from head home to the inevitable wrath of his mentor and, for all intensive purposes, father.

On approaching the door to Gaius' chambers, Merlin took a deep breath and, bracing himself, opened the door.

"And what time do you call this?" Gaius asked bluntly as Merlin shut the door behind him.

"Um… I was helping clean up." He lied, avoiding eye contact by scuffing his boots on the floor.

"That shouldn't have kept you long." Gaius replied, moving from the bookshelf to the table.

"Then I comforted Freya." Merlin retorted, looking up to see Gaius watching him intently.

"In what way?" Gaius asked. Merlin frowned.

"What?" he said in confusion.

"In what way were you comforting her?" Gaius repeated.

"I was hugging her…" Merlin replied unsurely. After a few seconds he started and made his way over to Gaius, "Look, I know you're angry with me." Gaius raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Who told you?" he said sarcastically. Merlin sighed.

"I know what I did was wrong but I didn't have a choice." He continued.

"Merlin!" Gaius said in surprise, "Of course you had a choice! Stopping is often the hardest thing to do but it's what is right."

"I couldn't help it! It was just too much!" Merlin said, plonking himself down heavily on the bench in exasperation. Sighing, Gaius sat down beside him.

"All young men feel like this." He said, resting his hand on Merlin's shoulder as Merlin hid his face in his hands, "It's just the hormones." Merlin looked up.

"Why would hormones make me punch Arthur?" he asked in confusion.

"Punch Arthur?" Gaius replied, "Merlin, you had every right to punch Arthur!"

"Oh right…" Merlin said unsurely, taking a while to process his thoughts, "Wait. Then what were you talking about?"

"I was talking about the intimacy of your relationship with Freya." Gaius said frankly. Damn, Merlin thought. Now what?

"What does it matter, Gaius?" Merlin retorted angrily, failing to find another excuse, "We're getting married tomorrow!" Standing up, Merlin paced over to the bookshelf.

"That doesn't matter!" Gaius replied as he too stood up, "What matters is that you spent the night with her before you were married!" Merlin turned around to face him in fury.

"How do you know that? When did you even ask me?" Merlin shouted in rage, tears forming in his eyes. Gaius froze.

"I didn't." he replied, a guilty expression coming across his face.

"Exactly." Merlin said, feeling hurt and slightly guilty.

"Did you spend the night with Freya?" Gaius asked more timidly than before. Merlin's guilt quickly diminished and was replaced by a feeling of panic.

"I… look, Gaius, I'm tired and I'm getting married tomorrow, so I'd like to go to bed." He said, attempting to appear nonchalant as he walked towards his room.

"Before marriage?" Gaius called after him. Cringing slightly, Merlin stopped on the steps and turned to face Gaius.

"Please don't be angry." Merlin pleaded, trying his best to look tired and innocent, "It was just one night." Gaius raised an eyebrow.

"Just the one night?" he asked.

"And the morning after." Merlin added reluctantly. Gaius groaned, "I swear, those are the only two times!" Gaius shook his head.

"Did none of our talk about women stay in your head?" he asked in irritation.

"To be honest, I tried to zone out for most of it." Merlin admitted. Gaius sighed sarcastically, and Merlin had a feeling he may have gotten away with that one.

XXX

As he began to come back into a state of consciousness, Arthur could hear noises as if he were hearing them from the end of a long tunnel. In the darkness of his mind he found there was little to do, and so he quickly became bored. Ironic, Arthur thought to himself, unconscious and bored. Where does the fun end?

After establishing that he couldn't open his eyes, Arthur began to focus entirely on the voices he could hear above him. He could make out one male and one female voice continuously muttering, audible but not loud enough to make any sense. The concerned female voice began persistently accusing the male voice until he began to retort, his voice rising in pitch until he was, thankfully, cut short by the interruption of the female voice. Merlin and Gwen. Definitely, Arthur thought, involuntarily twitching in his semi-conscious condition. Immediately the mumbling stopped and was replaced by the sound of footsteps.

"Arthur?" whispered Gwen. Arthur gasped and, sitting up suddenly, opened his eyes, the sound of Gwen's voice bringing him back into reality, "Are you alright?" she asked. However, Arthur wasn't listening to her. Collapsing back onto his bed, Arthur clasped his head in his hands as his mind was blasted with what felt like a miniature volcano. Closing his eyes and crying out in pain, Arthur was barely aware of Merlin's hands forcing down on his shoulders, pushing him onto the pillows beneath him.

"Gwen, get some cold water." Merlin ordered, and after no such movement was evidently made, he continued to shout, "Just do it!" Had Merlin not been holding Arthur's shoulders down with surprising strength, Arthur would have almost certainly tried to hit his irritating manservant. Not out of spite, but because the volume at which Merlin had shouted, had caused Arthur even more pain, the sound of Merlin's voice reverberating in Arthur's head.

Suddenly, ice cold water was thrown over Arthur's face, causing him to cease screaming and instead, sit up gasping for breath. Spluttering slightly, Arthur slowly opened his eyes.

The soft, winter morning light shone gently through Arthur's curtains and as he looked to his left, Arthur's eyes focused on the two figures watching him intently. Merlin sat on the edge of the bed warily and Gwen stood above him, the bowl still poised in the position it had evidently been in ten seconds ago. As Arthur shivered as a few left over drops hit his hand, she retracted the instrument, looking extremely guilty.

The pain in Arthur's head had largely subsided, leaving a more irritating throbbing in his skull.

"Are you alright, Arthur?" Merlin asked.

"Fine." Arthur replied, nodding. Cursing under his breath when the movement caused pain, Arthur realised something was missing, "Why can't I remember what happened last night?"

"You had an awful lot to drink, Arthur." Gwen answered him, Merlin nodding along. Arthur turned to Merlin, who seemed uncomfortable with the eye contact.

"What did happen then?" he asked, frowning. Gwen shifted uneasily.

"I'll go and get… something." Gwen said loudly, almost running out of the room. Arthur watched her go in confusion. Looking back to Merlin, he had the feeling he was missing something.

"Merlin." Arthur said purposefully. Merlin changed his position, in a rather defensive way.

"Um, well…" Merlin said, running his hand through his hair, "You got very drunk." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I gathered. But what else happened?" he asked, sitting himself up more upright.

"Well…" Merlin started nervously, fiddling with his hands, "Don't be angry."

"Angry? Why would I be angry?" Arthur said in confusion. Merlin swallowed loudly.

"Um…" he stuttered.

"Just spit it out, Merlin." Arthur snapped.

"Well… we were at the party… and you had a drink, then another, then another and then an-" Merlin started.

"Yes, yes. I get the idea." Arthur interrupted, rubbing his sore head. Merlin looked at him in terror.

"Well, then, after the dancing, you saw me and Freya resting by the side and you came over to us." He continued. Arthur raised his eyes brows.

"And then?" he encouraged Merlin.

"And then you started talking about how if everyone loved like we did the world would be a better place. Then…" Merlin paused, and taking a deep breath concluded the summary, "You said you would take Freya if I didn't, so I punched you." Merlin finished quickly.

Arthur stared at Merlin, who was now cowering in anticipation of a blow, with a completely blank face. He had said that? Really? He tried to come onto Merlin's fiancé the night before their wedding? He did: Arthur Pendragon? Wow, Arthur thought.

Looking to Merlin, Arthur spoke.

"I'm not angry." He said bluntly. Merlin uncurled himself.

"You're not?" he asked, his voice slightly higher pitched than usual. Arthur smiled half heartedly.

"No." he said gently, slumping further back into the pillows, "I just can't believe I would do something like that…" Arthur trailed off.

"You were very drunk." Merlin said in Arthur's defence. Arthur shook his head gently.

"That's no excuse. My behaviour was appalling." He looked to Merlin, "I'm really sorry." Merlin looked shocked.

"You're sorry that I hit you in the face." He asked disbelievingly. Arthur smiled.

"Indirectly, yes." He grinned, "And about that…" he continued, raising his hand to his face. Merlin grimaced.

"Yeah, it's bruising." He replied to Arthur's unfinished question. Arthur touched the left side of his face experimentally, and then yelped in pain. Merlin looked sheepishly at him, "Sorry…" Arthur laughed and soon Merlin joined in.

A few minutes later, Gwen entered the room. Merlin looked to her.

"Gaius needs you to help him prepare something for Arthur's bruise." She told him. Merlin nodded standing up.

"If you'll excuse me, sire." Merlin said to Arthur. Arthur nodded.

"Of course." He said. As Merlin walked across the room, Arthur called after him, "And Merlin, I'm sorry." Merlin paused beside the door and turned to Arthur.

"Likewise." He replied, before exiting the room.

Turning to Gwen, Arthur smiled. She returned the gesture unsurely, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How are you?" she asked in concern.

"Well, my head is aching and the bruise doesn't exactly help." He replied, grinning widely, "So I'd say a job well done." Gwen laughed.

"You're just like a little boy; so proud of his war wounds." She said smiling. He laughed.

"Well, I did ask for it: a party to remember." He said, shaking his head sarcastically, gazing into Gwen's eyes.

She was so beautiful. Her smooth skin, the way her hair fell in springy curls around her shoulders and the way they bounced when she moved. He loved the depth in her eyes and the way that she could see right through him, no matter how hard he tried to hide how he truly felt.

Even though his father had passed away over a year ago, Arthur knew even now the people of Camelot wouldn't like the idea of their king marrying a serving girl. Arthur despised himself for it. If he were just a normal man, like Merlin, he and Gwen would probably be married by now. Another reason for hating Merlin, Arthur thought to himself.

It wasn't fair that Merlin could do all the things he couldn't, like marry the woman he loved. Arthur was, of course, happy for Merlin and Freya, but he was also upset that it wasn't him. Arthur remembered how Merlin looked in Freya's eyes; he remembered how he could almost literally see the love flow between them. In a way, he saw himself and Gwen in their relationship. In fact, Arthur thought, it wasn't that different in the essentials.

After a few minutes of silence, Arthur decided to speak his mind. He took Gwen's hand and looked into her eyes. She gazed back, evidently shocked by the sudden movement.

"Guinevere." He started, "I was thinking…" A lump in his throat prevented Arthur from continuing.

"Yes, Arthur?" Gwen said, evidently confused and more than a little bit worried. Swallowing loudly, Arthur spoke again.

"I was thinking about how happy Freya and Merlin are and…" Arthur paused, "I want that… with you." Gwen nodded uncertainly.

"Me too." She replied, blushing slightly. Arthur relaxed, pleased by her reaction and encouraged by the innocent colour that came to her cheeks. He smiled and she sighed, turning her face away, "But it can't be, Arthur. The people of Camelot would never accept it." He shifted forward, recapturing her attention.

"They don't have to know." He retorted, grinning mischievously.

"You think that we should go behind the backs of a whole kingdom?" she asked incredulously.

"Merlin did and I never noticed." Arthur answered. Gwen laughed.

"Merlin is a manservant, no one is interested in his life!" she said, "You're the king! Some people devote their whole lives to watching yours!" Arthur frowned childishly.

"I hate that." He said, retracting his arms. Gwen pulled them back to her, taking Arthur by surprise.

"But…" she said and, noticing the hopeful gleam in Arthur's eyes, she continued, "We'll never know unless we try."

And with that, Arthur leaned forward for a kiss. He closed his eyes and, as he felt her lips touch his, he pressed himself against her, letting the chemicals in his body take over the thinking, if you could really call it thinking at all.


	9. Completely and Forever

As Merlin walked along the corridor, he couldn't help but move with a slightly skip to his step. Arthur had forgiven him; in fact, he had looked quite horrified at what he had done. Merlin smiled. He had punched Arthur in the face and Arthur was the one who was sorry. Never in a million years, had Merlin thought that the conversation would have gone that well.

He was now heading back to Arthur's chambers. In his arms he carried a pot of some sort of gel Gaius had recommended be put on Arthur's bruise. Merlin smirked as he thought of the sight Arthur would make when he next appear in the Royal Court. Opening the doors however, Merlin very nearly dropped the pot in shock.

For a few seconds, Merlin just stood and watched as Arthur pressed himself against Gwen, running his fingers down her spine. Merlin could see that the movement was causing Arthur pain, but it didn't seem like he cared all too much.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked. The couple jumped apart; clearly they had been unaware of Merlin's presence prior to his exclamation. Gwen moved back, standing up and backing into the end bedpost. Arthur swung his legs out of his covers and onto the floor.

"Merlin, I know what you're thinking." Arthur said, raising his hand, almost in surrender, "But it's not what it looks like." Merlin, still standing still with wide eyes, replied.

"So you weren't just kissing Gwen?" he asked, a slight hint of sarcasm ruining the amusement masquerading as shock.

"No! I was but…" Arthur protested. Merlin frowned, "Just hear me out." Merlin shook his head.

"No, it's ok. I understand how you feel, Arthur." He said, beginning to back out of the room, "I'll just leave you two to get on with it." Merlin smirked and Arthur shook his head threateningly.

"Merlin…please…" Gwen whispered from her place at the end of the bed. Merlin stopped moving and instead, turned to face her, feeling slightly guilty that whilst he had been mocking Arthur, he had effectively been doing the same to Gwen. He stayed silent, allowing her to continue, "You can't tell anyone about this."

"I never would." Merlin replied, resting his hand lightly on his heart. Arthur stood up and walked a few steps forward before tipping slightly, causing him to cease moving and put his hand on his head. Merlin moved forward to assist him, but Arthur waved him away.

"I'm fine." He said as Gwen moved to rest her hand reassuringly on his shoulder. Arthur looked back to Merlin, "I want you to understand that if anyone discovers this, you will be held personally responsible as you were the only one to witness it."

"I would never tell anyone." Merlin said sincerely, "But out of interest, what exactly were you doing?" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"What did it look like we were doing?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, but are you…" Merlin trailed off as Arthur looked to Gwen, who nodded in affirmation.

"Yes." Arthur replied, looking back to Merlin briefly before gazing into Gwen's eyes again. Merlin frowned.

"But you don't want anyone to know?" he asked quickly as Arthur and Gwen began to lean in.

"No. So you are going to have to keep your big mouth shut." Arthur said, reluctantly pulling away from Gwen and looking to Merlin. Merlin grinned sheepishly.

"Yes. Of course. No problem." He said, backing away. Quickly exiting the room, Merlin began to think over what had just happened.

So, Arthur and Gwen were now courting. But they didn't want anyone to know about it. So they were trusting Merlin to keep quiet and make sure that nobody would find out. Fantastic, Merlin thought as he marched along the corridors. Not only is no one else meant to know but if, by chance, they find out, Arthur would have Merlin's guts for garters. Just great.

Sighing, Merlin made his way out to the square, where he was greeted by Freya.

"Is my mother here yet?" he asked Freya. She shook her head.

"No, I don't think so." She replied, surveying the constant stream of people entering through the gates.

It was the morning of the wedding and Merlin's mother was due to arrive any time between the hour of ten and midday. It was about quarter to eleven when Merlin finally spotted her. Passing the forgotten jar of gel to Freya, he ran across the square and swept her into his arms.

"Merlin! Put me down!" she said, laughing. He did so and she kissed his forehead, "Either you're growing or I'm shrinking. Hopefully it's not the latter." He smiled.

"I've missed you." He said, hugging her again.

"I've missed you too." She replied. Pulling apart, she smiled, "I can't believe you're getting married today!" At this she grabbed his hair and pulled him forwards, "You promised me you would never grow up." He smiled as she freed him from her grip.

"I never thought I'd fall in love." He replied gently, stepping back as Freya reached them. Hunith looked to her, "Mother, this is Freya." Freya smiled uncertainly.

"It's nice to meet you." She said politely. Hunith smiled widely.

"And you." She said, "You're even more beautiful than I imagined." Freya blushed.

"Thank you." She said quietly, looking to Merlin who smiled at her.

"It's true." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met." He moved his hands to take hold of her cheeks and he kissed her gently on the lips. She responded hungrily, unable to do anything else, as her hands were occupied by holding the pot of gel.

Merlin moaned gently. Instantly, his mother coughed purposefully. Blushing slightly, Merlin let go of Freya and stepped to the side slightly. Murmuring an apology, Merlin scuffed his shoes on the ground.

"Um, did you want me to show you the dress?" Freya asked, attempting to find a distraction. Hunith took it gratefully.

"Of course!" she replied. Freya turned to Merlin and handed him the pot. Hunith watched them in confusion.

"What's that?" she asked. Merlin turned to her.

"Gel." He stated. Hunith's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Merlin and Freya.

"No no no!" Merlin almost shouted, shaking his head wildly, "It's for Arthur." Hunith frowned.

"Why would Arthur need gel?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"For his bruise." Merlin said. Hunith's expression urged him to continue. With a deep breath, Merlin did, "I punched him." Hunith gasped.

"Merlin!" she cried in shock.

"It was a complete misunderstanding!" Merlin said desperately, "We sorted it out." Hunith shook her head.

"Honestly, Merlin." She said, "One of these days you're going to get yourself killed by doing something like that." Merlin looked at her sheepishly. She turned to Freya.

"Thank goodness you're here to stop him!" she said, as she took Freya's arm and the walked towards the steps.

"Let's hope so." Freya laughed. Merlin sighed, watching his mother and wife-to-be head inside. He would have to get used to being ruled over by women.

XXX

The sun set slowly over Camelot, the gentle winter breeze causing the trees to wave their branches, as if wishing farewell to the sun. The long shadows cast by the light lined the narrow muddy streets of the lower town.

Through these streets travelled a small gathering of people. Their thick woollen cloaks were wrapped tightly around their shoulders, and their visible breath mingled with the icy air. Among the travelling party, there were only a few, most notably, the king. He travelled humbly with the others, wearing nothing that would distinguish him from the rest. The woman who walked by his side held a supportive arm underneath his elbow, as if trying to stop him from tipping or falling.

They continued walking in near silence until they reached the edge of the woods, where an arch had been made out of vines, white flowers blooming on the stems. They greeted the young man stood nervously beneath it, noting that his dress was more formal than theirs. Within a few minutes of their arrival an old man called for them to part. They did so and he guided a girl dressed in white to the front. The young man's eyes lit up as the girl stepped forward, taking his outstretched hand. He commented lovingly on how beautiful she looked, smiling at her blush.

A vicar, dressed simply for the occasion, stood behind them and, as the bride and the groom turned to face him, he began the ceremony. Soon he ceased speaking and indicated for the couple to begin their vows.

"I ,Freya," the girl started, "Take you, Merlin, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Tears fell from her cheeks as she put the simple gold ring onto his finger. He smiled, his eyes clearly filling up with the same salty tears of joy. The watching group smiled, many of them following suit, letting the tears of shared happiness fall. Even the king, in all his pride, couldn't help but sniffle slightly as the young man started to speak.

"Freya, today I become your husband and you become my wife. I will strive to give you the best of myself, while accepting you the way you are. I promise to respect you as a whole person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realise that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you in to my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change, keeping our relationship alive and exciting. And finally," he concluded, slipping the ring onto his new wife's finger, "I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how - completely and forever."

And as they leaned in for their first kiss as husband and wife, the snow began to fall gently upon them, glistening like diamonds in the beautiful red glow of the sunset.


	10. Lift

**Note to readers: I have been without internet for a while now, but it's finally going up: chapter ten! Sorry for the wait, but there is a big surprise in store for our favourite short-lived-but-forever-in-our-hearts couple. Read on to find out more! Thank you for all the support that you have been giving me too; I love you guys!**

The weeks after Merlin and Freya's wedding went by quickly and before they knew it, they had been married a month. It hardly felt that long, but Arthur could see the difference in Merlin's attitude to life. He seemed more optimistic in general, forever ignoring Arthur's foul moods and managing to find the fun side of his work. In fact, Arthur began to think that marriage had changed Merlin a lot, for the better, of course.

It was thirty-six days after the wedding – and Arthur knew this, for Merlin was forever reminding him of the tallied total – that Arthur started to question his own opposition to the formality of marriage.

"Merlin?" Arthur inquired one day, whilst Merlin was polishing the armour, sitting opposite Arthur as he completed paper work.

"Yes, Arthur?" Merlin responded, looking up. Arthur set down his pen. Merlin watched him, eager to help, his ocean blue eyes wide and understanding. Arthur rubbed his eyes and bowed his head. Spit it out, coward. Merlin is not going to laugh at you, or tease you or be cruel in any way, Arthur attempted to convince himself. Sighing, he removed his hands from his face and looked down at the table, instead of into Merlin's eyes.

"I've noticed that… now you're married… What I mean is: do you think marriage is a good idea?" Arthur finished, looking up at Merlin, who smiled back at him.

"Of course!" he stated enthusiastically. Arthur gazed thoughtfully at his friend. Merlin immediately noticed the reserved silence, and asked tactfully, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, ever since you and Freya got married, you seem so happy. You used to have bad days now and then, but that's a thing of the past; it doesn't happen anymore." Arthur answered, well aware that Merlin was suspicious of his behaviour.

"Well, of course I'm happy! I have the woman I love and nothing can take her away from me." Merlin commented triumphantly. Arthur winced, overcome with the impulse to dissolve Merlin's fairytale-like illusion. Managing to restrain himself, Arthur continued.

"In what way do you mean you 'have' her?" Arthur questioned, evidently hitting Merlin in a weak spot, as he blushed an unmistakeable tomato-red colour.

"Well, every way. You know, legally." Merlin blundered, looking down as he continued his work in embarrassment, "We're together all the time." Arthur laughed, causing Merlin to look up and grin sheepishly.

"Together. As in…?" Arthur started.

"Together, together." They ended in unison. Laughing, Merlin blushed again. Arthur shook his head.

"You mean you're with her every night?" he asked, out of sheer curiosity.

"No." Merlin said shaking his head, then, thinking again, he continued, "More like every other night." Arthur laughed hysterically.

"Now I know why you're so happy." He said, grinning widely. Merlin smiled back.

Suddenly, Arthur was hit by a thought. If marriage made Merlin so happy, why wouldn't it make Arthur happy? In fact, Arthur was beginning to come around to the idea of having a wife. The word 'wife' had a certain familiarity to it, like it was just simply right. Studying the worried expression on Merlin's face, evidently caused by Arthur's sudden silence, he started.

"That's not a bad idea!" he said, sitting up straight in his seat.

"What? What's not a bad idea? Why?" Merlin said quickly, sensing Arthur's excitement and recognising that this was never a good sign.

"I should get married!" Arthur said, jumping out of his seat and pacing around his room. Merlin stood up too.

"But you've only been courting Gwen a month!" he exclaimed, moving over to where Arthur was bounding up and down.

"So? What does that matter if I love her?" Arthur retorted, grinning uncontrollably.

"It's a bit quick though." Merlin said, watching his master prance around in bemusement.

"No! You and Freya hadn't been courting that long before you proposed." Arthur said to him.

"A year." Merlin stated, "We were courting a year." Arthur halted, a confused frown upon his face.

"And I never noticed?" he questioned, tipping his head comically on the side.

"No. You were never even close to guessing." Merlin said.

"Never mind." Arthur retorted, shaking his head and resuming his pacing. After a few seconds he bounded over to the window.

"When are you going to ask her?" Merlin asked, following Arthur uncertainly, keeping his distance as if afraid of catching the excitement that rushed through Arthur's veins. Arthur turned to face him.

"Today. In fact," Arthur said, approaching Merlin, "You can get her for me and then we can do it here." He raised his arms, indicating to his chambers. Merlin frowned.

"On the floor?" he asked in mock suspicion. Arthur raised his eyebrow.

"You know what I mean." He said, shaking his head slightly.

"Ok then…" Merlin said doubtfully, turning away and walking to the door.

"What?" Arthur asked bluntly, familiar with Merlin's dubious tone. Merlin turned to face him, stopping in the doorway.

"I just don't think it's a good idea, that's all." He stated, attempting to edge out of the room. But Arthur wasn't letting him get away so easily.

"Why not?" Arthur asked warily. Merlin shrugged.

"It's just my opinion." He replied, slipping out of the room as he spoke.

"You're wrong, Merlin! Just you wait!" Arthur shouted after him.

Who cares what Merlin thinks, Arthur thought to himself as he sat back down at the table. Arthur was convinced he was doing the right thing. He loved Gwen, so no matter what happened, that's what mattered. Everything would work out just right; it always did, a bit like a fairytale.

XXX

"You know, Arthur told me the strangest thing today." Merlin said as he tucked into his dinner. Freya, who was stood by the stove of the small house that once belonged to her alone, turned to face him, picking up a damp cloth.

"Oh really." She said, evidently not in the slightest bit interested. Merlin, ignoring her mood, continued.

"Yeah. He said he was going to ask Gwen to marry him." He stated nonchalantly, eating his food and throwing wary glances to Freya, who was now cleaning down the top of the stove, her back to him.

"That's a bit fast, isn't it?" she said, finishing the cooker and moving to clean the table.

"That's what I told him." Merlin replied.

"Lift." Freya ordered, pausing to let Merlin lift the books he had left on the table, allowing her to clean underneath. Once she had finished, Merlin set the books back down and continued.

"But he just started talking about how we weren't together for that long before I proposed, so I told him that we'd been courting a year. To be honest, he seemed more worried that he hadn't noticed us, rather than that he was moving too fast with Gwen." Merlin babbled, lifting his beaker for Freya to clean under. As he set it down she paused cleaning to watch him talk, "But anyway, to cut a long story short I told him that I didn't think it was a good idea and he got mad at me. I don't see why he should, it's not like having an opinion is a crime…" Trailing off, Merlin began eating his dinner again.

Freya just stood there, obviously put off by something. After glaring at Merlin for a few seconds in stony silence, Freya spoke.

"Lift." She stated bluntly. Merlin looked up.

"What?" he asked, pausing eating to gaze at Freya in bemusement.

"Lift the damn plate!" Freya shouted. Merlin jumped and stood up.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted back. She stared back and after a few seconds her lower lip began to quiver.

"Sorry." She whispered quietly, dropping down into the chair across the table from Merlin. As tears began to fall down her cheeks, Merlin moved around to kneel beside her chair.

"I'm so sorry, Freya." He said, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly, "Just tell what's wrong. You seem so tense."

"I just wanted to clean the…" she sobbed helplessly stretching out her arm to pick up Merlin's plate. Merlin pulled her hand back in and moved to kneel into front of her.

"Shh." He said, rubbing her knees. With her free hand, Freya wiped her eyes. Merlin sighed, "Please tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't tell me!" Freya gazed at Merlin, studying his face with what seemed like curiosity. After a while she shook her head.

"I can't." she said, looking down into her lap and tracing the veins on Merlin's hands.

"Please Freya." He said, lowering his voice to a seductive whisper. Freya looked up, responding to the tone of his voice. But she didn't reply. Instead she just gazed into his eyes. Merlin stood up in frustration, moving to the door, "Why won't you tell me?"

"Merlin." Freya said quietly. Merlin remained with his back to her, "I'm pregnant."

At that precise second, Merlin felt as if the ground had just fallen from beneath him. Spinning around to face Freya, upon whose cheeks glistened new tears, Merlin spoke quietly.

"What?" he asked in disbelief. Freya didn't reply. She simply sat in her chair and cried silently as she watched for Merlin's reaction.

But Merlin didn't react. He had completely frozen, inside and out. Unable to respond, Merlin gripped the doorframe, attempting to think straight. Within the space of a minute, Merlin's whole perspective had changed. Life rule number one: Actions bring consequences. For example, making love to your wife will, at some point, make her pregnant.

Looking to Freya, Merlin said the one thing that could describe his feelings.

"Wow." He said. Freya sobbed gently.

"I'm s-so s-sorry!" she wailed. Merlin laughed gently and knelt down in front of her, tipping her head up so that he could look into her eyes.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" he asked softly, stroking her cheeks, "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Not only am I married to you, but we're having a baby!" Merlin laughed and soon Freya joined in. Merlin rested his hand on Freya's stomach, "How far along are you?"

"About a month." She replied, grinning widely. Merlin sat back on his heels and, still watching Freya's stomach as if by magic the baby would just appear, he spoke.

"How do you know for sure?" he asked.

"Well, there were lots of signs but I finally realised last night. I didn't feel right when we were…" Freya trailed off.

"Yeah." Merlin said, "You could've stopped in you'd wanted to." Freya giggled.

"Well, no. I think you were enjoying it too much." She said, grinning childishly. He shook his head sarcastically.

"Can I feel again?" he asked. Freya nodded. Again Merlin knelt forward and rested his hands on Freya's stomach. Merlin stared at it for a while expectantly.

"Are you waiting for something?" she asked sarcastically.

"When does it start to kick? I want to feel it." He said eagerly. Freya laughed.

"Not for a while yet, Merlin." Freya replied fondly, smiling gently at the disappointed look on her husband's previously excited face.


	11. Alarm Bells

Whilst Merlin and Freya sat in their home euphorically, Gwen was making her way to Arthur's chambers. When he had asked to see her earlier, she had been surprised. Usually they would meet somewhere more secret, not obvious like Arthur's chambers. She had immediately taken it as a bad sign, but had felt obliged to do as he wished, so she prepared herself and, by the hour of eight, she was stood outside his door. Knocking gently, she entered the room.

Arthur was stood in the centre of his chambers, evidently in the middle of pacing. When he saw Gwen, he immediately ceased moving and smiled at her.

"Thank you for meeting me here." He said. She nodded unsurely.

"I was a little surprised that you wanted to meet somewhere so exposed." She replied, mentally examining Arthur.

He stood awkwardly in the middle of his room, clearly uncomfortable about something. His unshaven face and tired looking eyes gave Gwen the impression that he was worried or nervous.

"Are you alright Arthur?" Gwen asked moving closer to him, throwing her shawl over the back of the chair as she went.

"Fine." Arthur said, stepping back slightly as she approached. Noticing that Gwen was hurt by his rejection, Arthur moved to rest his hands on her shoulders, "I wanted to talk to you about something, something important." Gwen frowned in confusion.

"What is it?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Well, I was thinking about Merlin…" he started. Gwen hastily withdrew her arms. Arthur shook his head and stepped backwards, "Not like that! It's just… now he's married he seems so happy. And I want that for us." Gwen looked at him, still unsure as to where he was going with the conversation.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Taking a deep breath, Arthur looked into Gwen's eyes and spoke.

"Will you marry me?"

Gwen stared at Arthur blankly. What? He couldn't be serious! They hadn't been courting that long. And besides, the king marrying a serving girl would cause outrage! After a few seconds Gwen stepped backwards. Arthur watched her, his eyes wide in anticipation. This was a joke; it had to be. Arthur was always playing pranks and this must be one of them. Convincing herself that Arthur was trying to be funny, Gwen began to laugh.

But Arthur just stared at her, a confused frown spreading across his face.

"What?" he asked. Gwen continued to laugh, "What's so funny?"

"You can't be serious!" she replied, moving to rest her hands on his shoulders, but he moved backwards.

"You think I'm joking?" he asked in disbelief. Gwen's face fell as she noticed Arthur's hurt expression. Whoops.

"Arthur, we've only been courting a month; marriage would be moving way too fast!" she said in shock.

"Why? What does that matter if we're in love?" he asked.

"It matters because you can't just jump into something like getting married! And besides, what will people think if their king suddenly marries?" she said, stepping backwards slightly.

"I don't know and I don't care!" Arthur said childishly, his volume escalating rapidly.

"Well you should!" Gwen shouted. Arthur didn't reply so Gwen continued, "A true king respects his people and doesn't use his power abusively. Just because they have no say in the matter doesn't mean that you shouldn't take them into consideration. If you suddenly announce this to the people they're not going to trust as much in future. Don't ruin what you have because of me." Arthur looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"You're a kind man, Arthur, and I love you but maybe we should take a break for a while." She suggested, hating herself almost as soon as the words left her mouth. Arthur's head jerked up, but after a few seconds examining Gwen's face he nodded in defeat.

"Ok." He said.

Unable to bear the disappointed expression on Arthur's face, Gwen turned on her heels and almost ran straight out of the door. She continued running until she reached the courtyard where her knees collapsed beneath her and she burst into tears, hugging her knees to her chest as she sat on the steps.

XXX

As he wandered leisurely into Arthur's chambers, Merlin could sense something wasn't right. Arthur was sat at his desk, elbows on the table, hands hiding his face. Arthur's body shook with silent sobs, occasionally whimpering, as if in pain.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked cautiously. Arthur looked up dejectedly, too miserable to even bother being surprised properly, tear tracks visible on his cheeks, "Are you crying?" Merlin moved forward to stand opposite him.

"No." Arthur replied, standing up and wiping his eyes frantically in a failed attempt to hide his tears.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"Guinevere and I are… taking a break." Arthur replied sadly, "She thinks I'm moving too quickly." Merlin frowned.

"Why?" he asked in confusion.

"I asked her to marry me." Arthur stated.

"Oh, right. Yeah…" Merlin said, his mind shifting to his own problems. Sitting down on the other side of Arthur's desk, he continued, "How did that go?" Arthur looked at him angrily.

"How did it go? How do you think?" he shouted. Merlin didn't respond, "But you know what? I'm not going to give up. She must be waiting for me to do something first…" Arthur paced over to the window, passing the 'manic depression' stage and flowing neatly into 'hyperactive denial of defeat' stage.

"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed suddenly, turning to face Merlin, who had barely reacted to Arthur's surprise revelation, "She said that I shouldn't suddenly announce a wedding! Maybe… maybe she wants me to expose our relationship first!"

"Maybe." Merlin agreed absentmindedly.

"That's it! I'll tell the whole of Camelot I'm in love with her!" Arthur said victoriously, pacing over to where Merlin sat.

"Of course." Merlin confirmed.

"Tomorrow morning!" Arthur said, sitting down with a triumphant nod. Picking up a glass of wine, Arthur looked to Merlin.

"Well aren't you going to tell me that it's a bad idea?" he asked sarcastically. Merlin, who was vaguely aware that his response would have to be more detailed than his previous reactions, turned to look at Arthur.

"What?" he asked.

"What's wrong, Merlin?" Arthur asked in exasperation.

"What do you mean?" Merlin said, frowning slightly.

"Well you're not really present. You're more… past." Arthur replied, studying Merlin's expression with intensity. Absentmindedly, Arthur took a drink of wine.

"Freya's pregnant." Merlin stated. As Arthur spluttered, the wine he had been drinking promptly came out of his nose in a mist of red moisture.

"What?" Arthur exclaimed, wiping his mouth and sitting forwards, "Merlin, I'm so sorry." Merlin frowned.

"Why is everyone sorry? This is the happiest day of my life!" Merlin said, grinning triumphantly. Arthur faltered.

"Well, I… It's just…" Arthur mumbled, "…Congratulations!" Merlin grinned widely.

"Thanks." Merlin said euphorically, breezing over Arthur's uncertainty with unusual willingness. After a few seconds of silence, Arthur snapped.

"So…" he mumbled, "Who's the father?" Merlin raised his eyebrow as Arthur grinned. Clearly Merlin was going to have to get used to this joke.

XXX

As the sun rose in the east, casting its orange glow across the land, Arthur stood on the castle balcony, watching the town's people gather. As each of them in turn reached the back of the crowd, they halted, many looking around for an explanation as to why their king had gathered them so early on a cold January morn.

Arthur raised his hand and soon the crowd fell silent. Looking around, Arthur began.

"I know many of you are probably wondering why I have called you here." Arthur paused dramatically and, after receiving a few confirmative nods, he continued, "Well, I am making an announcement. I've noticed that all of you still live in fear, like you did when my father was king. I am not like him. You needn't fear me as you did him. Yes, I have kept the ban on magic and I will continue to do so until I see good enough reason to lift it.

"But this is not what I gathered you to talk about. I want to change the way we view our society. In particular, the way we love." At this, many of the people turned to each other, a confused murmur breaking out amongst the crowd. Arthur surveyed them until they fell silent again, "People of Camelot, I have come before you today to make a declaration of love.

"The woman I love stands among you. But she's neither rich nor important in the hierarchy of society. But that doesn't change the fact that I would willingly sacrifice my life a thousand, million times over for her! She means more to me than anyone ever has or ever will and I defy you to find one fault in her." Arthur traced a horizontal pattern through the crowd until he found her and, looking into her teary eyes, he continued, "She is kind and generous and she isn't afraid to tell me when I'm wrong. She tells me the truth with honestly and unreserved affection. Every day I wake up in awe of the blessing that was given me when I met her. I wouldn't change anything we experienced for the world."

Arthur smiled, a single tear falling from his cheek.

"So… Guinevere, daughter of Tom the blacksmith, for the love of Camelot, will you marry me?" The crowd gasped and as all eyes fell on her, Gwen nodded in shock.

"Yes." Arthur saw her mouth. And with that, the whole of Camelot erupted in screams and shouts of joy.

XXX

As Guinevere entered her and Arthur's chambers, Arthur rushed over to her, taking off her cloak.

"Where were you?" he asked worriedly.

"I went for a walk." She replied, turning to face him. Studying his face, Gwen saw a look of relief pass over him.

"Oh." He said, moving to hang his wife's cloak over the wooden divider. Gwen laughed gently.

"Were you worried?" she asked teasingly moving to wrap her arms around his neck from behind.

"No." he retorted in embarrassment as he turned to face her, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her into an intimate embrace.

"Of course not." She said, grinning. He smiled back.

"How was your walk then?" he asked as he began to play with her curls.

"It was lovely, thank you. I went into the lower town to visit some friends." She replied. Pausing slightly, she continued, "The baby kicked today." Arthur started.

"What baby?" he said in a slight panic.

"Freya's baby." She said, laughing, "You needn't look so worried."

"I wasn't worried." Arthur retorted quickly, a bit too quickly. Pulling away from Gwen, he paced over to his desk and gazed out of the window.

His reaction concerned Gwen. He rarely reacted like this, so something was definitely wrong. She carefully studied his vacant expression as he sat down at the desk and rested his hand on his upper lip as he always did when he was thinking.

"Arthur. Tell me what's wrong." Gwen said as she walked over to the desk. He faced her.

"I'm fine." He said looking up. Seeing Gwen raise her eyebrow in doubt, he continued, "I was just thinking."

"About what?" she asked, moving around to sit on the desk facing him.

Immediately, Arthur blushed a deep red colour and his eyes darted about, trying to find somewhere to look other than at Gwen. His behaviour was starting to annoy Gwen by now and she sighed loudly.

"What ever it is Arthur, you can tell me." She said. He looked into her eyes and nodded.

"Of course I can." He said with renewed confidence. He stood up and took Gwen's hands.

"I was thinking about Merlin and Freya and how they're… having a baby." He started, pausing to observe Gwen's reaction. She waited for him to continue, "And, well, I think we're ready." His cheeks turned red as he finished speaking.

Gwen didn't reply. Either she was going crazy or Arthur really did just say that he wanted a family. What a bizarre thought. Arthur wanted a baby.

She hated to admit it, but she too had been considering the possibility for a while. She had seen the excitement in Merlin and Freya's faces. She wanted to have that with Arthur, but she had felt nervous that he wouldn't feel the same way. She needn't have worried.

"Yes." She said suddenly, surprising herself more than she had surprised Arthur. He grinned.

"Really?" he asked. Gwen nodded, smiling. Laughing slightly, Arthur kissed her passionately. After a few seconds he pulled away, "I think we should start trying now."

"And you're thinking with your brain are you?" Gwen asked teasingly. He shrugged.

"Sort of." He replied, sweeping the hair out of her eyes. She grinned and swiftly wrapped her legs around his waist. As she leant into him he kissed her neck and carried her over to the bed. Climbing on top of her, Arthur quickly removed his shirt.

Suddenly there was a dull thudding noise and Merlin entered the room.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, "We're kind of in the middle of something here." Merlin wandered over to the table and sat down heavily.

"Oh. Right." He said. Arthur jumped off the bed, pulling on his shirt as he went. Gwen sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, studying Merlin's vacant expression.

"Are you stupid?" Arthur shouted, "Get out!" Merlin stood up, still in a trance, and turned to go out of the door.

"Merlin, wait!" Gwen said suddenly, jumping off the bed and moving to stand beside Arthur. She could tell from the lack of reaction that something wasn't right. Merlin's hunched shoulders and teary eyes were setting off alarm bells in her head. Clearly he was distraught by something, but what?

"What's wrong?" Gwen asked gently as he turned back to face her. She longed to hold him in her arms, but his stony expression scared her. Tears began cascading down his cheeks as he wept silently.

"Freya started bleeding." He replied slowly. Gwen's heart faltered. She knew what that meant, "We've lost the baby." Merlin had hardly got the words out of his mouth before his body began to shake uncontrollably with painful sobs.

And to the surprise off all three people in the room, Arthur pulled Merlin into his chest and gently rocked him as the young man wept in agony.


	12. A Canon Ball

**Note to readers: I know, I'M SORRY! It's been too long, the reason being that shit has been going down in my life, shit of which I do not speak. But here it is: chapter twelve! I have twenty three chapters already written and the time for Arthur finding out about Merlin's Magic is nigh! Stay tuned in for that, and I hope you enjoy this! Cheerio!**

Arthur pulled the old, wooden chair backwards as Gwen reached him.

"Is this one big enough? I could get another." He said caringly to her. Gwen sighed in exasperation as she sat down heavily in the chair.

"This one will do fine, thank you." She replied, "I'm eight months pregnant, not a planet."

"Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference." Arthur muttered. But Gwen could hear him.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing…" he murmured as he turned away sheepishly and sat in the chair that once belonged to his father, at the end of the long rectangular table.

Gwen shifted uncomfortably. She was eight months pregnant and she was beginning to get quite tired of the whole shenanigan. It was the middle of summer and, although the council chambers were cooler than her chambers, she was feeling hot and sticky. Her airy cotton dress drifted around her ankles, the hem tickling her legs slightly. Feeling the sudden urge to itch her ankles, and well aware that she couldn't reach, Gwen began scrapping the heel of her shoe on her leg.

"Guinevere, what are you doing?" Arthur asked in bemusement.

"Scratching my leg." She replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "I will have you know that it's not very easy with a canon ball attached to your front." Arthur smiled fondly.

They were in the council chambers after receiving word that there was an unidentified army heading for Camelot, and were waiting for the knights to return with more information. Gwen sat on Arthur's right, the place of a queen, something Gwen hadn't quite got used to yet.

Suddenly, Merlin burst through the doors. Panting slightly, he ran up the hall. His hair stood up on ends and his clothes were creased beyond belief.

"Sorry…" he panted, coming to a halt at Arthur's side.

"Where have you been?" Arthur asked suspiciously.

"With Freya." Merlin said, blushing slightly.

"Right, well, I think that's all I need to know, thank you." Arthur said, shifting uncomfortably. After studying Merlin's face for a few more seconds, Arthur spoke again, "Is she?" Merlin shook his head.

"No." he said, grinning, "Honestly, sometimes I think that you want this baby more than I do." Arthur turned red.

"I thought we could become fathers together." He replied, mumbling slightly. Merlin laughed.

"Are you scared?" he joked.

"No. I don't know what gave you that impression." Arthur retorted quickly.

After a few seconds of silence, Gwen couldn't bear Merlin's state any longer.

"Merlin, get over here." She ordered in exasperation. Hesitantly, Merlin moved around Arthur to stand beside Gwen.

"Why?" he asked, kneeling down as she tugged on his sleeve.

"Your hair is really messy." She stated, flattening it down in a motherly way. Merlin frowned in confusion and looked to Arthur.

"Don't look to me for help; you're not the only one." Arthur said, smiling as Merlin pouted childishly.

"There." Gwen said as she finished neatening Merlin's hair.

Not more than a second after Merlin stood up again, the doors of the council chambers burst open and Sir Leon strode in, several knights flanking his sides, Lancelot being one of them. As they reached Arthur and Gwen, Lancelot smiled shyly at her, and she returned the gesture briefly. Gwen then focused her attention on Leon, unwilling to maintain eye contact with the man she had once loved. But that had been a phase.

"What news Sir Leon?" Arthur asked grandly, sitting up straight in his chair. Sir Leon bowed, the knights following suit.

"We have identified the army, sire." He replied, as he straightened up again.

"And?" Arthur asked anxiously.

"We believe Morgause to be leading it." Leon stated.

"Why would she want to destroy Camelot?" Arthur pondered.

"She still wants magic to be brought back to the land." Sir Leon replied. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"How many men?" he sighed, inviting them to sit at the table. They did so, Sir Leon closest to Arthur.

"About 5000." Leon said.

"Then we have little to fear." Arthur said, leaning back in his chair in satisfaction.

"It is not the number of men we should fear, sire, but the manner of the others." Leon said nervously. Arthur frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting back up again. Sir Leon shifted uncomfortably before he continued.

"Well, many of her men are sorcerers, sire. She also has many different species of magical creatures in her ranks." He stated uneasily, twiddling his thumbs.

"What creatures?" Arthur asked, clearly frustrated, as he attempted to maintain his calm appearance.

"Well, I… I don't know…" Sir Leon replied timidly. Swallowing loudly, Leon continued, "There were a lot of them." Arthur clenched his jaw shut and rested his head in his hands. Gwen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Fantastic." Arthur growled quietly. Gwen looked to Merlin pointedly, and he stepped forward.

"Would you be able to identify them?" Merlin asked, taking Arthur's place. Leon looked to him.

"Probably." He replied confidently, standing up. Merlin smiled grimly and together, he and Sir Leon headed for the door, followed by the other knights. As he reached the door he turned to face Gwen.

"Thank you." She mouthed to him. Merlin smiled gently as he closed the door behind him, leaving Gwen and Arthur alone together.

"Why must there always be someone out there to get us? Why can't we just be left in peace?" Arthur exclaimed. Gwen rubbed his shoulder consolingly.

"Arthur, there are many people who want your kingdom; it's something you need to get used to." She replied softly. Arthur stood up and paced towards the wall before turning to Gwen, a heartbreaking expression playing across his face.

"I still hate it." He said miserably, "I hate war. It always makes me feel… alone."

"You still have me." Gwen said, smiling. Arthur smiled back as she stood up and moved, very slowly, towards him.

"I know." He said, standing close to her, his hands on her hips and his stomach touching her bump. Arthur leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Gwen felt him laugh slightly against her lips.

"What?" she asked in bemusement, pulling back. Arthur was attempting to keep a straight face as he looked down at Gwen's bump.

"He's kicking again." he replied, almost in wonder, "It's almost like he finds our kissing disgusting already." Gwen and Arthur laughed.

"He?" she asked. Arthur blushed slightly.

"I'd rather like to have a son." He replied. Gwen smiled.

"Well, I'm growing just around the front, so the chances are it is a boy." She said. Arthur looked up at her wide-eyed.

"Really?" he asked. Gwen nodded. Arthur grinned as he kissed her firmly, his hands moving to the bottom of her back.

With a bang, Merlin suddenly burst through the door, causing Gwen and Arthur to jump apart. Visibly panicking, Arthur hurried to the table and posed thoughtfully.

"You know, I was thinking about having a round table. That way everyone's equal." He fumbled, patting the table fondly. Gwen looked to him.

"Sometimes, Arthur Pendragon, I think you're a genius." She said, stepping forward and resting her hand gently on his chest. Merlin snorted loudly.

"I don't." he murmured.

"What?" Arthur asked pointedly, turning to glare at Merlin. Merlin grinned.

"Arthur, she's carrying your child. I'm very aware of what clearly happens behind closed doors." He replied, lifting his hands in an almost surrender. Arthur studied him for a while before turning back to Gwen, who had been watching for his reaction. Gently, Arthur kissed her, pressing himself as close to her as possible.

"Urgh." Merlin groaned, wrinkling his nose childishly, "Just because I understand, doesn't mean that I want to see it." Gwen ignored him as Arthur kissed her passionately. His hands moved from her hips up to her chest. Gwen was vaguely aware of Merlin's fake retching as her mind drifted off to a happier place; one she wouldn't be seeing for a long time…

XXX

As summer faded slowly into autumn, the war for Camelot continued. The bloodcurdling screams of pain echoed in the silence of the night and fear tore through the hearts of the people, never spoken, but still there.

Arthur and his knights fought valiantly, their hope never waning nor fading. Day after day they faced the enemy in combat, sustaining injuries most men couldn't bear. They were winning; they were sure of it.

But two weeks after the war for Camelot had begun the Queen went into premature labour; a very dangerous process for both mother… and baby…


	13. The Birth Of Loholt

Arthur paced frantically along the corridor outside his chambers, chewing his lip as his mind flooded with horrible thoughts. It's going to be very dangerous. That's what Gaius said. Very dangerous… life threatening, in fact. And not just for the baby, but for Gwen too.

Arthur shook his head in denial. No. She was going to be fine, she was a strong woman, stronger than most. If ordinary women could do this, then she could do it ten times better, Arthur attempted to convince himself. But if anything did happen, it would all be his fault. It was his child after all.

Suddenly, a loud scream echoed down the corridor. Arthur immediately ceased pacing, the unexpected noise shocking him slightly. He looked to Merlin for comfort. His manservant was stood a few feet away from him, leant against the wall, and had also jerked at the sound, as if suddenly stung by a wasp. To be honest, Merlin looked even more scared than Arthur did; his eyes were as wide as a startled deer. He watched Arthur intently for a reaction. After listening for any further noises, and hearing none, Arthur was satisfied in thinking everything was ok. He resumed his pacing and Merlin relaxed back against the wall again, his gaze pensive.

For a minute or so, everything went silent, except for the gentle tapping of Arthur's shoes against the stone floor. But then another noise broke through the quiet, silencing the rhythmic beating of shoe soles against rock flooring.

A cry. Not a cry of pain, but a cry of breath.

Merlin and Arthur's eyes met. For endless moments they stared at each other, neither of them willing to speak as they listened to the soft wailing of the newborn child.

The door gently creaked open and both men turned to see Gaius standing in the doorway. He looked to Arthur and smiled.

"You can come in now." He said gently. Arthur looked unsurely to Merlin, who grinned encouragingly. Arthur nodded to Gaius and made his way over to the door, pulling Merlin as he went.

"If I'm going down, you're going down with me." Arthur growled into Merlin's ear as they walked through the door.

XXX

Arthur and Guinevere's chambers were lit with the gentle glow of the candles in the brackets on the walls, their light softening the air lovingly. Gwen watched Morgana, who was cradling the newborn baby, smiling as she rocked the child gently backwards and forwards.

Suddenly, the door creaked open and Gaius walked back into the room. Behind him were Arthur and Merlin, both very pale. As soon as Arthur saw Gwen he smiled. Rushing over to the bed, he hugged her passionately.

"Guinevere!" he said, relief clear in his voice. Sitting back, he looked her in the eyes, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, Arthur. I'm fine." Gwen lied. Arthur smiled. Gwen feebly returned the gesture.

"Arthur?" Morgana asked, looking to the king. He stood up suddenly and turned around quickly to face her. Gwen noticed his expression change as his eyes locked on the tiny bundle cradled in Morgana's arms. Morgana smiled, "Do you want to hold him?" Arthur's eyes flew to Gwen.

"It's a boy?" he asked in disbelief. Gwen smiled and nodded, unable to speak. Arthur moved his gaze back to the baby. Unsurely, he stretched out his arms as Morgana handed the baby over.

In awe, Arthur gazed at the tiny child in his arms. Gently, he pressed his fingers to the side of his son's cheek. The little prince wriggled slightly and with one sudden movement, he stretched out his pale little arm and grabbed onto Arthur's finger, his whole fist grasping it powerfully. As Arthur smiled absentmindedly, so did Gwen.

As the baby giggled happily, Arthur spoke gently.

"He's perfect." He said quietly.

"Yes…perfect…" Gwen repeated, feeling herself slip from consciousness.

"Now all we need is a name." he said, turning around to face his wife. "Gwen?" Arthur looked up after receiving no reply, "Gwen!" Sensing Arthur's distress, Merlin rushed over to the bed and leant over Gwen trying frantically to bring her back into reality.

But she was gone.

XXX

Pushing the baby quickly into Morgana's waiting arms; Arthur rushed over to Gwen in a panic. He dodged past Merlin and sat on the edge of the bed, up against the pillows, holding Gwen's limp body in his arms.

"Guinevere!" he cried out, tears forming in his eyes. He looked up suddenly to Merlin, "She's not, is she? She's not dead?" Merlin stepped back and solemnly looked his king in the eyes.

"Not dead," He replied, "But dying." Arthur looked down at his wife in devastation.

It was happening. The thing he had feared most was happening. Gwen was dying, just like Arthur's mother died. His son would grow up without a mother, just like he had. Questions were flying around Arthur's head madly. Why was she dying? Was there something that could be done to stop it? If she did die, would he become the same cold-hearted, unloving parent his father was to him?

Arthur sniffled loudly, his teardrops falling onto Gwen's pale face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gaius checking her over. Soon he stopped and murmured something to Merlin before escorting Morgana, who was still holding the baby, out of the room. Merlin and Arthur remained in silence for several minutes.

"Arthur?" Merlin said miserably, "Arthur, there isn't much we can do except make her passing more peaceful." Merlin's voice faltered; his pain was clear.

"Please, no." Arthur responded, his own voice also thick with tears. He looked up and into the tear-filled eyes of his loyal friend, "Anything, do anything." Merlin shook his head.

"I can't. You know I would if I could." He replied, softly. Arthur stood up and faced Merlin full on.

"I am your king and I am ordering you to do something! Anything!" Arthur cried out, his legs collapsing beneath him as he fell onto the floor. Merlin's lower lip quivered as he watched Arthur helplessly.

"I'm so sorry." He said, choking on the words as if it were them that were killing Gwen.

For a few moments neither of them spoke. Merlin stood, unable to move. Arthur wept powerlessly on the floor. But soon Arthur pulled himself together and pushed himself up and off the floor. Looking to Merlin, he spoke quietly.

"Use Magic."


	14. Traitor

"What?" Merlin whispered in disbelief.

"Use Magic." Arthur repeated, "Gaius must have a book of it somewhere. Find it. Use it." Merlin shook his head, his mouth wide open.

"But it's against the law." Merlin said, still quite clearly in shock.

"I'm aware of that Merlin. But this is my wife. I will do anything to save her." Arthur replied, stepping forwards, his confidence restored in believing that Magic would solve everything. Merlin studied Arthur's face, obviously unsure as to whether this was a trick. Eventually Merlin sighed and moved over to Gwen's bed.

Arthur followed him closely. Leaning over the bed, Merlin rested one hand on top of the other and positioned them over Gwen's body. He stood like that for a minute or so before Arthur spoke.

"Is it working?" he asked impatiently. Merlin sighed, looking to his master.

"I haven't done anything yet." He replied, "And I can't while you're standing, looking over my shoulder constantly."

"Fine." Arthur said, stepping backwards grudgingly. Merlin turned back to Gwen and relaxed slightly. Silence passed for a few seconds before Merlin suddenly began murmuring in a foreign tongue. From the end of the bed Arthur watched in amazement as Merlin's eyes flashed a peculiar golden colour and he stood like that for several minutes before his brain began to function.

Then it hit him.

As his eyes widened, Arthur stared in disbelief at his loyal manservant. Merlin had just performed Magic; in front of Arthur's very eyes. The Magic that he had been taught to hate from birth by his stern father. But there was something that worried Arthur more than any of this did.

He hadn't needed a book. Merlin had simply walked over to the bed and cast a spell over Gwen. Anger boiled inside Arthur, his fists clenching together as he watched Merlin hold Gwen's fragile life in his hands.

It only took a few minutes for Merlin to finish speaking and step backwards, an almost pained expression on his face.

"Done?" Arthur asked sharply. Merlin nodded, gently.

"Yes." He replied, clearly not aware of Arthur's disapproval.

"Good." Arthur stated, pushing Merlin out of the way as he sat down on the edge of Gwen's bed.

"She'll need some time to sleep. The Magic will take a while to take effect." Merlin said, his eyes now cautiously studying Arthur's face. Arthur didn't reply he only glared at Merlin before turning back to his wife, "Arthur, are you ok?" Arthur's head jerked up as he moved himself into a standing position.

"You traitor." He said, advancing slowly towards Merlin.

"What?" Merlin asked in pure confusion as he edged backwards, away from Arthur.

"You have Magic." Arthur said, his hand involuntarily twitching as he got closer and closer to Merlin, who was now backed up against the wardrobe.

"I know." He replied quietly.

"How could you?" Arthur shouted angrily, stopping a mere meter away from his manservant. Merlin jumped, his hands raised automatically into a defensive position.

"I'm sorry." He said, terror now the only expression on his face.

"But Magic?" Arthur's voice went into an intimidating whisper.

"I can't help it; I was born this way." Merlin said. Arthur just stared at him incredulously, "Sometimes Magic chooses you." Arthur shook his head in disbelief.

"But you kept it from me! All these years! Do you not trust me?" Arthur retorted, shrinking back at the thought of such a betrayal.

"Of course I trust you!" Merlin said, moving forward in time with Arthur's recoil, "I just… I don't know. I thought you would execute me for being a sorcerer." Merlin gestured his hands in exasperation.

"I thought you were my friend." Arthur said quietly. Merlin opened his mouth to respond, but Arthur cut him off by shouting, "I trusted you!" Merlin simply looked his furious master in the eyes, and then looked down at the floor.

Suddenly, Gwen moaned in her sleep. Both men froze, and after looking to see if Gwen was alright, Arthur turned back to face Merlin.

"Get out." He said bluntly, expecting some retaliation as he looked into his manservant's eyes. But he was only met with a cold look of disappointment. Slowly, Merlin made his way out of the room. He paused slightly as he reached the door before leaving, the door slamming behind him.

XXX

Arthur sat beside Gwen in his wooden chair, his newborn son cradled closely in his arms. Arthur gazed at the small child in awe, tears welling up in his eyes every time he was hit with realisation: this was his son, his own child, his and Gwen's…

Almost as soon as he thought her name, Gwen groaned, shifting slightly as she came back into consciousness.

"Guinevere?" Arthur asked, sitting up properly in his chair. She turned her head at the sound of his voice as she opened her eyes slowly.

"Arthur?" she said, her voice a mere whisper. He smiled gladly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked anxiously, raising his free hand to stroke the hair from her face.

"I'm feeling… wonderful." She said, almost disbelieving, as she sat up, propping herself up against the pillows. Arthur grinned. Gwen smiled back.

Soon her gaze dropped down to the baby in Arthur's arms. Following her gaze, Arthur spoke.

"Do you want to hold him?" he asked. She nodded and so he passed her their son, the child whimpering as he was passed from one parent to the other.

"He's so beautiful." Gwen said once she had settled back, "He looks a lot like you." Arthur smiled fondly, his eyes not leaving the angelic face of the baby.

"What should we call him?" Arthur asked, smiling in time with his son.

"Do you want to name him after your father?" Gwen asked. Arthur's eyes shifted up to meet hers. They both laughed. Gwen answered her own question, "Maybe not."

"What about naming him after your father?" Arthur said, now watching Gwen gaze down happily.

"Tom? Prince Tom?" Gwen replied.

"Alright then, any other ideas?" Arthur asked, leaning back in his chair. Gwen studied Arthur's face thoughtfully before speaking.

"I've always liked…" she trailed off, blushing slightly.

"Come on, tell me." Arthur said, "It can't be much worse than Uther." Gwen smiled.

"Well, I've always liked the name Loholt." She continued, her cheeks reddening more.

"Loholt?" Arthur considered out loud, his eyes drifting off as he thought about the name, "Prince Loholt."

Arthur's head suddenly filled with thoughts of the future. Years from now Arthur would be teaching his son how to hunt deer, how to ride a horse and how to fight. He would be watching in pride as his boy won every tourney and contest there was going, as he grew into the man Arthur would raise him to be. And one day his son would be Crown Prince of Camelot, the heir to the throne. Crown Prince Loholt.

"It was just a suggestion." Gwen said, shrinking back slightly in embarrassment, "We don't have to call him that." But Arthur raised his hand as he reluctantly left the imaginary world he so wanted to live in.

"No." he said, Gwen looking to him in shock, "I love it. We'll call him Loholt." Gwen smiled contentedly.

Arthur welled with happiness as he moved to sit beside her on the bed, both of them admiring Loholt with the pride of new parents. Each and every tiny movement the child made sent shivers down Arthur's spine. This was a real living person, one he and Gwen had brought into the world. The more he thought about it, the more it baffled him. But finally, one appalling thought burst through all of the happy ones.

Merlin.

Sighing gently, Arthur kissed Gwen lightly on the cheek and stood up.

"Where are you going?" she asked. As Arthur fought to find a reasonable explanation, Loholt came to his rescue. Gwen looked down at her son as he began to whimper.

"To give you some privacy." Arthur said as Loholt's cries became louder, "I think he's hungry." He grimaced as the baby's cries became almost unbearable screams.

"You think?" Gwen sighed. Arthur smiled, walking away from the bed.

"I'll come back in half an hour." He said, pausing at the door, "And I'll fetch Gaius." Gwen nodded in affirmation and Arthur exited the room.

At least half of what he had said had been true.


	15. The Letter

Merlin paced up and down his room restlessly. It had only been an hour since he had been thrown out of Arthur's chambers and already he could feel the cold breath of irony on the back of his neck. How many times had he been close to telling Arthur about his Magic? Countless times. And how many times had he decided it wasn't a good idea? The exact same number.

But never once had he imagined that Arthur would only be mad because he thought Merlin didn't trust him enough to have told him before. That was a shock and a half.

A sudden knocking noise at the door caused Merlin to freeze mid-step and turn anxiously towards the noise. As Merlin threw opened the door Arthur almost fell through the threshold.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked in pure shock.

"Merlin." Arthur replied, standing himself upright and straightening his jacket nonchalantly, "Can I come in?" Merlin nodded, shrinking back in terror as Arthur walked past him and into his room.

For several minutes of excruciatingly painful silence both men stood waiting for the other to speak first.

"How's Gwen?" Merlin asked quietly.

"She's improving; she's awake now." Arthur replied. Merlin nodded in relief.

"Good, that's very good news." He said. Soon they went back into silence due to lack of subject, "Erm, how's the baby?" Arthur smiled in spite of himself.

"He's… incredible, truly incredible." He said grinning. Merlin, pleased by Arthur's friendliness, smiled back.

"Does he have a name yet?" he asked, his stiff shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Yes, we called him Loholt." Arthur replied.

"That's a very…" Merlin struggled to find an appropriate word, "Nice… name." Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"You were going to say pretty, weren't you?" he said. Merlin cringed slightly.

"Maybe?" he said unsurely. Arthur laughed and Merlin smiled sheepishly.

As the air became awkward yet again, Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes, causing Merlin to shift uncomfortably. Arthur clearly noticed this.

"Merlin, I just wanted to thank you." He said, his face becoming sombre.

"For what?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"For saving Guinevere's life." Arthur replied, "There are no words to explain what that means to me."

Merlin gazed at Arthur. He seemed to be serious. The solemn look on his face and his meaningful eyes made Merlin realise something: Arthur wasn't angry with him.

"But… I… I used Magic." Merlin stuttered, still struggling to believe that Arthur was ok with it, despite everything that had happened.

"I know." Arthur replied, "And you should have told me sooner. But I understand your reasoning and, to be honest, I probably would have done the same." Merlin blinked disbelievingly.

"You're ok with me having Magic?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so. In fact," Arthur said, smiling slightly, "I've decided to lift the ban on Magic in your honour."

Merlin stared at Arthur blankly. His whole world had just flipped upside down. Magic: legal in Camelot. Even the simple thought of it sent shivers down Merlin's spine.

But they were shivers of pleasure. He could be who he really was without having to hide anything. It seemed an almost paradoxical idea, but yet it seemed so right. Camelot would become a city of Magic, just as had been foretold. The united land of Albion was beginning to form, Merlin could see it. Arthur would become the greatest king ever known: the once and future king.

After all these years of living fearfully behind the veil of his clumsiness, Merlin would finally be able to show off the one thing he was good at. Arthur would respect him as an equal, not as mere serving boy with the brainpower of a gnat.

Tears filled Merlin's eyes as he gazed at Arthur, reverence and respect clearly showing on his face.

"Thank you." He managed, his voice no louder that a whisper. Arthur smiled gently.

"You saved Guinevere's life. This was the least I could to do repay you." He replied. Slowly Arthur made his way to the door, "I'll… see you later, then. And thank you." Merlin nodded, his words still failing him. Arthur smiled as he shut the door behind him.

Merlin moved slowly to sit on the bed, his legs weak. Sighing happily, he lay backwards onto the bed, resting his hands behind his head and he smiled in spite of himself. Boy, would he have a story to tell when Freya got home…

XXX

In the few months that followed the prince's birth, Camelot developed at a near impossible rate. Magic flourished and with its arrival, new hope was brought to the hearts of the people. For once, those with extraordinary gifts didn't hide or conceal themselves in the shadows. Each and every person, rich or poor, lived in a constant state of ecstasy, as the kingdom of Arthur Pendragon blossomed.

Soon, knights from far and wide were flocking to join the already existing knights of the magnificent round table. News of Arthur's greatness spread across the whole of Albion and the Saxons quaked with fear at the very mention of his name.

Merlin was, of course, appointed Court Magician. Before long he was almost as renowned and respected as the king himself, his powers healing and saving many lives. Often, he would be seen at the side of Arthur as he went about his duties. Merlin's unfailing loyalty and devotion pleased the king; the two men were like brothers. His inapt sense of humour and heart-warming smile won over many an opponent; however, not all were pleased with his appointment.

Arthur had announced the lifting of the ban on Magic the day after the prince's birth, of course making sure that strict punishments would be given to those who used Black Magic. He had told the court that Merlin was to be the Court Magician, and was met with a, slightly unhesitant, round of applause. Arthur arranged a celebration feast in the evening. All who attended were exceedingly joyous, and by the end of it, rather drunk. All except one… Morgana.

XXX

Morgana marched along the corridor as Hattie, who had been appointed her new maid, failed to keep up with her fast pace. Twirling around suddenly, and catching a slightly breathless Hattie unawares, Morgana scowled.

"Oh, do keep up Hattie! How am I supposed to get anywhere if I keep having to wait for you?" she sighed angrily. Hattie signalled that she was sorry, "Urgh. I don't care for your stupid gestures. Learn English." Hattie eyes fell crestfallen to the floor. Morgana smiled wickedly and flounced off in the direction she had been heading before. Hattie followed her again, but made sure to keep her distance this time. Morgana glared ahead as she strode along the corridor.

She had just been in Arthur's chambers, telling him about her Magic. And it hadn't gone as she had expected it to go. Of course he had been surprised, but his reaction didn't go much further than that. He had told her that he didn't mind, and that there had always been something different about her.

But that was it. He hadn't said anything else; he had simply stated that he had to go and check on his feeble wife and their dratted brat of a son. Morgana hated the way that he marvelled over every little thing the boy did, whether it was a simple wave of the arm, or a tiny giggle. How could Arthur spend all day talking about him? All he did was sleep and eat and cry. Such a disgusting little creature.

And her: Gwen. Every few seconds she'd cry "look at that", "look at this" or "look what Loholt just did". Was she thick? Morgana didn't care for that stupid child. Nor did she care for Arthur's opinion.

"Maybe Merlin could help you understand your powers" he had said patronisingly. The thought of it made Morgana want to vomit! No, she would never go to Merlin, that insignificant idiot of a man! Why would she ask him for help? If she wanted to go to anyone for help she would go to her sister. Morgana's step faltered slightly.

She could go to Morgause! Why had she not thought of that before? What an idiot!

Stopping, Morgana turned to Hattie whose terrified expression made her laugh internally.

"Hattie, could you go and prepare my travelling clothes and pack my bags for a long trip? In fact," Morgana said, "Pack all of my clothes and valuable possessions. Then go to the stables and get my horse ready. I want to be ready to leave tonight." Hattie curtsied and hurried off down the corridor, shooting a timid glance backwards as she went. Morgana smiled malevolently as she walked out into the square. Things were looking up after all.

XXX

"What do you mean 'Morgana's gone'?" Arthur roared, standing up suddenly and nearly knocking his chair over. The knights sat around him flinched at the sound of his voice. Hattie trembled with fear as she used signs to answer him and Arthur looked to Merlin for a translation.

"She left last night… on horseback… she asked Hattie to pack… all of her clothes and valuable possessions along with… enough food and water to last… a week." Merlin said slowly, interpreting Hattie's hand gestures. Arthur looked to Hattie, calming himself slightly as he realised Morgana left of her own accord.

"What else do you know? Do you know where she went?" Arthur asked. Hattie shook her head and made a few gestures to Merlin.

"Do you have it?" Merlin asked suddenly. Arthur looked to Merlin in confusion.

"Have what?" he asked. Merlin looked at him.

"Morgana left a note." He replied. Arthur made his way around the table and approached Hattie as she held out a small sheet of parchment. He took it from her and began reading.

_Dear Arthur,_

_By the time you read this letter I will be long gone. Don't try to follow me; I do not wish to have you on my tail as always. I have gone to a place where I feel at home; a place where I am accepted and recognised. I was your father's ward, not yours, so I feel no obligation to stay. I will not be returning, not for a long time, so do not wait for me. We may have loved each other as kin in the past, but it has become clear to me that you no longer care for me, and I no longer care for you. Don't take it to heart too much; you are surrounded by people who love you and I never was. But I have gone to a place where I will be loved for who I am. I feel sure we will meet again, but don't expect it to be a joyous occasion._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Morgana_

As Arthur finished reading the letter his heart sunk. What had he done to hurt her? Of course he had been busy recently, but he hadn't neglected her at all. And why did she no longer love him? A lump came to Arthur's throat. Slowly, he put the letter away in the inside pocket of his jacket. He turned blankly away from Merlin and Hattie and went to sit in his seat at the round table.

Looking up at the concerned faces of his knights, Arthur had to clench his fists and grit his teeth to stop tears welling in his eyes.

"Continue." He ordered gravely. Sir Gawain stood up.

"Would you like us to continue without you, sire?" he asked gently, "You looked troubled."

"No. I'm fine. Just get on with it." He said bluntly. Gawain nodded and sat back down as Sir Leon hesitantly carried on reading out the reports from the lower town, other knights occasionally offering their input.

Arthur didn't really listen. His eyes moved from face to face, sometimes nodding when he felt it necessary. Finally, his eyes rested on Merlin. Merlin stared back, frowning in concern as a single tear fell down the king's face. Merlin had told him the prophecies about Morgana, and now they were coming true. And as much as Merlin tried to hide it, Arthur knew that she would be his downfall…


	16. Our Baby

The months after Morgana's shock departure went by slowly. Arthur found it difficult to concentrate on anything else; anything but his worry. Merlin and Guinevere tried hopelessly to distract him, often arranging feasts or celebrations in an attempt to take his mind away from Morgana.

Eventually Arthur forgot. Not entirely of course, but the thoughts of his foster sister were finally pushed to the back of his mind, and he was able to enjoy life as he had before.

After that, the years flew by. Loholt's first, second, third birthdays were lost in excitement. And when he turned seven, Arthur presented him with his first sword and shield. They were made of wood of course; real swords were definitely not appropriate for a young child. But that didn't mean that he didn't cause a fair bit of damage anyway. And, like father like son, he showed a great deal of interest in forever finding new ways of irritating Merlin. He was, on the whole, rather successful.

But his childhood passed and within a blink of an eye he was rapidly approaching adolescence. Naturally, this worried both Arthur and Gwen. Loholt was a strong-willed boy and was by no means shy about what he wanted. But despite this he was kind, chivalrous and constantly polite. He never showed any disrespect to anyone, no matter how hostile they were. Arthur was impossibly proud of his son and used anything as an excuse to express his uncontrollable need to praise him.

But Arthur wasn't the only proud father in his court.

When Loholt was only three, Merlin's daughter was born. She was named Lunafaye and Arthur insisted on making her a Lady. She was, as they say, a chip off the old block: obsessed with Magic and rather clumsy. She and Loholt got along very well, almost like brother and sister, and during childhood they certainly bickered according. But as they approached their teenage years, they left that phase behind and their relationship blossomed and grew with them.

Luna's passion for Magic developed at an almost alarming rate. Even so, her abilities never came too close to surpassing Merlin's. But none ever would, and she knew that.

Freya took over the role as Court Physician when Gaius retired shortly after Luna's first birthday. Merlin and Freya were given the whole of the tower, including Gaius's chambers. They kept them pretty much the same, Merlin and Freya sleeping in Merlin's old room. They converted the room below into a sort of ward, or sick bay, for those in need of full-time care and treatment.

The room above was the astronomy tower, which Luna happily occupied. She loved lying on her bed at night and marvelling at the stars through the domed glass roof. The multitude of the skies above never failed to impress her, and the endless possibilities and explanations of what existed in the heavens sent shivers down her spine.

So much was her love of the unknown that she would often walk around in a trance-like state, simply thinking of what was yet to be discovered.

And a new discovery was fast approaching her: one that would change Luna's life forever…

XXX

Wiping the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead, Loholt breathed heavily. Ignoring the fact that he ached from head to toe he brought the sword down heavily on his opponent's armoured chest. A cry of pain echoed through the dented helmet of the man lying at Loholt's feet.

"Yield!" the masked figure cried, "Mercy, sire! Mercy!"

"Why should I grant you mercy?" Loholt sneered, "You insulted my honour. Why should I let you live, O filth of Mother Earth?"

"Forgive me! I meant neither you nor your honour any harm. Give me another chance!" the terrified man pleaded helplessly as Loholt raised his sword above his head, preparing to pierce his challenger in the heart.

Suddenly, Loholt laughed, sitting down heavily beside his cousin.

"Constantine, you do make me laugh." He chuckled, offering out his hand, "You're pathetic."

"I'd like to see you do better." Constantine replied angrily, sitting up by himself and shaking off Loholt's helping hand, "You could have had my eye out with that thing." He gestured to the discarded sword that lay by the prince's side. Loholt laughed again.

"I wouldn't have actually hurt you, you great idiot." He replied, brushing his dirty blonde hair from his face and resting back on his elbows. Constantine regarded him with suspicion before following suit.

"It still hurt." He mumbled discontentedly. Loholt rolled his eyes.

"It's meant to." He said in a matter-of-fact tone, "There will not ever be a battle where you acquire no injuries of any sort."

"Look here! Just because I'm two years younger than you doesn't mean that you can talk to me like I'm a child!" Constantine retorted heatedly, sitting up again. Loholt sighed.

"You're right; I'm sorry." He said patronisingly. Constantine clenched his teeth together and heaved himself to his feet.

"If you're not going to take me seriously I might as well go and find someone else to talk to." He said, the colour of his cheeks now echoing the intensity of his red hair. His bright green eyes glittered with rage as he picked up his sword from where it had fallen when Loholt had knocked it from his hand.

"Fine." Loholt replied, "But you'll have a hard time finding anyone who wants to talk to you." Constantine glared at the prince before stalking off as best he could, limping on his right leg. Loholt laughed and lay down on the soft grass.

It was mid-afternoon in late September and Loholt was meant to be training with his cousin. Constantine hated fighting; he preferred games of logic and wit. But Loholt had agreed to try and train the stubborn boy. He was failing quite spectacularly. Loholt too had very little patience, especially when it came to training someone who clearly didn't want to be there. But still, he persevered.

Moving each limb in turn, checking experimentally for any damage, Loholt's mind drifted to more important things. Things such as Luna's eighteenth birthday dinner in the evening. For some reason, Loholt was feeling nervous. He shouldn't have, but he was. And this irritated him.

He and Luna were extremely close and they told each other everything… well, not quite. It was often rather hard to get any information at all out of Luna. But they had always shared all their secrets. Up until a couple of months ago anyway…

It had been at the May Dance that Loholt had finally begun to see Luna as an independent woman, rather than the young daughter of his father's most trusted friend. She had greeted him in the field, dressed in a simple, glowing white frock and a wreath of daisies around her head. Her raven hair hung in loose curls down to her chest and her deep sapphire eyes glittered with wisdom beyond her years.

It came as no surprise to anyone that Loholt was left speechless; his verbal skills were often rendered useless when he was presented with a beautiful girl. But this time he felt something different. He wasn't just attracted to her, he was drawn to her. It was like the world had simply lost all of meaning to him. She was his world, he saw that now.

Loholt tried to carry on like normal, but he found it difficult to adjust himself whenever Luna was in the room. But he lumbered on, making a special effort to avoid her when his parents, or hers for that matter, were around.

Now it was the day of her birthday dinner and he was so nervous that he was beginning to start to wonder whether he should just fake illness. No, Loholt thought, Mother would see right through that. And so would Luna…

The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her. But he knew that if he attended the feast he would say something or do something embarrassing, probably for both of them… Faking ill it was then, Loholt thought as he got slowly to his feet, his muscles beginning to ache again. He would just have to hope no one would see through his lies and somewhat flaky plan.

XXX

"Freya, calm down!" Merlin sighed hopelessly for the umpteenth time. Freya shook her head wildly as she paced up and down their bedroom, chewing her bottom lip furiously as she went.

"I can't!" she replied, stopping to face Merlin, who was lounging on the bed, "She's going to be eighteen! Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, I know, Freya. She'll be able to get married." Merlin replied, his throat almost closing on the last word.

For hours on end now he had been trying to calm his anxious wife down. The moment Luna had gone up to her room to prepare for the feast in the evening Freya had been unstoppable. She had been fussing all afternoon, pacing up and down like a mad woman. She rarely behaved this way. But for once, Merlin knew the reason.

Luna was turning eighteen in a matter of hours and although he had spent half the day trying to calm Freya, he too was dreading the outcome of his daughter's newfound responsibility. Merlin was finally going to have to let go of his baby girl. He had been there at her birth, maybe not out of choice, but he was still there! He had held her moments after she was born, heard her first words and saw her first steps. Now she was eighteen and old enough to think for herself and make her own decisions. And that worried Merlin.

It wasn't like Luna was stupid, she was far from it, but she often had the tendency to daydream. She appeared to be completely out of it for most of the time, at least to the unfamiliar eye. Merlin had grown accustomed to the dreamy look on her face, but he knew that when she appeared to be dreaming she was actually thinking. She thought way too much, almost constantly. But even Merlin didn't know what she thought about, nobody ever did.

"Exactly!" Freya cried, her manic hand gestures bringing Merlin sharply out of his rather rambling thoughts, "She can't!" Merlin sighed again, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Yes she can, Freya." He said, standing up and moving to rest his hands on her shoulders comfortingly, "And she will… one day." Merlin blinked back sorrowful tears as Freya began to cry.

"But… but she's only a girl! Our baby! I don't want her to grow up!" Freya sobbed, tears cascading down her pale cheeks. Sniffing slightly, Merlin pulled her into his chest and hugged her tightly.

"I know." Merlin whispered, tears falling readily from his eyes, "Neither do I…"


	17. Happy Birthday Luna

Loholt shifted uncomfortably as he sat in his place at the round table. His newly washed clothes were itchy and uncomfortable and the navy blue jacket he was wearing smelt faintly of vomit from the last feast Camelot had hosted. Shivering as he relived that night, Loholt scratched at the irritating crown on his head.

"Stop fidgeting Loholt!" Gwen cried in exasperation. Loholt shot a wary glance to his mother who was sitting on his left, the king on her other side.

"Sorry Mother." He mumbled, managing to rearrange the crown one last time before slumping back in his chair, knocking the dratted thing off his head in the process. Gwen sighed. Mumbling his apologies, Loholt stood up and moved to crawl behind his chair to see where the crown had fallen. As he searched he heard the conversation above continue.

"So was Luna excited about tonight?" Arthur asked.

"It's hard to tell really, she doesn't say much of her opinion." Freya replied. Merlin coughed purposefully, causing Freya to continue hurriedly, "But I'm sure she was! She loves birthday feasts." Loholt rolled his eyes. At least that made one of them. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Loholt saw a gleam of gold beneath the table.

"Well, she's reached a milestone now." Arthur said as Loholt stretched himself out and wriggled underneath the chair, "She's not a girl anymore, she's a woman." Freya and Gwen's gentle laughed echoed through the wood of the table.

"She's been a woman for a long time already, since she was twelve, in fact." Freya commented.

"Twelve?" asked Merlin, "That's the age of a child."

"Not in age, Merlin," Freya paused in embarrassment, lowering her voice, "In body."

"How do you mean?" Merlin asked innocently. Loholt paused, listening in curiosity for the answer.

"Well…" Freya started, clearly struggling to find the appropriate phraseology, "When she was twelve she… she…"

"She was able to have children." Gwen finished Freya's sentence for her. Loholt raised his head suddenly in shock and was promptly knocked back down again as his head hit the bottom of the chair with an almighty thump.

"What?" Merlin exclaimed in shock. The women laughed. Cursing under his breath, Loholt stretched out his arm and grabbed the crown just as he heard the doors to the hall open.

"Ah! The Lady Lunafaye." Loholt heard his father's loud voice echo around the room as Luna walked over to the table to greet her king. Arthur stood up as she reached him and, seeing her legs stand beside his father's, Loholt scrambled eagerly to climb out from under his chair.

As his eyes adjusted to the light levels above the table top, Loholt stood up and was immediately drawn to Luna. Her beautiful deep blue dress set off her sapphire eyes and her long, curly raven hair framed her pale face perfectly. Loholt was in such awe of her beauty that he didn't realise his grasp on his crown had slackened until he heard it clang to the floor.

The silent hall turned to face him as he blushed. Loholt ducked quickly behind his chair and, yet again, began the search for his crown. He heard Luna take her place on the left of the King, next to her father, and soon the gentle hum of conversation started up again. Plates clattered as people began to eat and finally Loholt found his crown behind his mother's chair.

Peering over the top of his chair, Loholt could see Luna watching him in bemusement, a little perplexed smile playing across her face. His face going redder, Loholt placed the crown firmly on his head and stood up, shrugging off his embarrassment melodramatically and sitting nonchalantly back at the table. His actions had clearly caught the attention of Luna, who giggled quietly. Loholt grinned back, pleased that she had found him entertaining.

"Happy birthday Luna." Arthur said, ruffling her hair playfully. Luna smiled back.

"Thank you, my Lord." She replied gently, "And thank you for arranging this. It was very kind of you." Arthur smiled triumphantly.

"It's a pleasure. Becoming eighteen is a big land mark; you are officially a woman." He said, faltering slightly towards the end. Loholt smirked as both Arthur and Merlin blushed and shifted uncomfortably. Luna was oblivious to this, as she continued to smile courteously, her eyes not leaving Arthur's. After a while Arthur began to shift awkwardly. He stood up and took his goblet in his hand.

"A toast to the Lady Lunafaye," He began, "Who's birthday it is we are celebrating here tonight. Luna has reached one of the biggest milestones there is: eighteen. And we all know what that means. Marriage!" Arthur paused as the hall was filled with the sound of gentle laughed. Smiling, he raised his glass, everyone else following suit, "So here's to Luna and her inevitable future wedding! Let's hope it it's a royal one!"

"I'd drink to that!" Gawain cheered.

"You'd drink to anything." Merlin mumbled from behind his goblet.

As the hall was filled with good-humoured laughter and many choruses of 'hear hear!' Loholt's smiled disappeared instantly. His mouth dropped open in sheer horror and his face burned with painful embarrassment as he stared disbelievingly at his grinning father. Arthur sat down victoriously. Looking to Loholt, and sensing his disapproval, Arthur winked conspicuously.

Did Arthur know, he thought, about his feelings for Luna? No. He couldn't. Loholt hadn't told him. Or anyone for that matter; he preferred to keep things like that to himself. So, if he didn't know then what on earth possessed him to say that? In front of the whole court! Was he insane?

Loholt was vaguely aware that his mother was talking to him, but he didn't have the will power to respond, or even listen. Loholt glared at his father in loathing, his disbelief turning quickly into disgust as his father shifted uneasily under his stare.

"Loholt?" Luna's voice broke gently through the fire raging in Loholt's head. His mind went suddenly blank and so did his expression. Looking Luna in the eyes, Loholt could see that she was worried about his reaction. He stood up suddenly, capturing the unwanted attention of the people surrounding him.

"Please excuse me." He said. Without waiting for a pardon, Loholt turned sharply, almost running out of the room. As soon as he was in the corridor and the guards had shut the doors behind him, Loholt collapsed against the wall, falling in crumpled mound of shame.

XXX

Taking a swig of ale, Gawain watched in amusement as Loholt left the hall in a hurry.

"I wonder who put a lance up his backside." Arthur joked. The court laughed and the general murmur rose back up to a loud hum.

"Arthur?" Merlin mumbled to Gawain, across Freya.

"Definitely." Gawain replied from behind his beaker. Arthur grinned to them, clearly not hearing their comments. They returned the gesture. Arthur turned to Gwen as she started up a conversation with him. Merlin looked to Gawain unsurely.

"Do you think he's alright?" Merlin asked anxiously.

"He's barely past being a teenager. He's a little sensitive, that's all." Gawain replied, sitting back in his chair as to include Freya in their conversation.

"But he looked horrified." Merlin said, twisting his beaker around in his hands nervously.

"Merlin, you're too used to having a daughter. He'll get over it, give him time." Gawain retorted, silencing a clearly unhappy Merlin, who glared at him.

Suddenly a little voice piped up, abruptly ending Merlin and Gawain's staring competition.

"Daddy, why are there big forks and little forks?" came the, slightly stilted, question from the young child sitting on the other side of Gawain.

"Well, Florence," Gawain said, turning to face his seven year old daughter, "The little ones are for your first course, then the big ones are for your main course." Florence looked from the forks in either hand, up to her father in wonder. Her shoulder length blonde curls framed the ivory skin of her face perfectly, and her father's liquid brown eyes showed clearly out of contrast in her features. Smiling, Gawain turned to Freya as she began to speak.

"I forgot to ask, how is Ragnelle?" she asked, smiling gently at Florence, who was still looking slightly stunned.

"She's doing fine, sleeping mostly; I guess childbirth really takes it out of you." Gawain replied. Freya and Merlin laughed.

"We hear it was a boy this time." Freya stated questioningly. Gawain nodded happily.

"Yes, third time lucky, I guess." He said, absent mindedly stroking Florence's head as she acted out a make belief scene with her forks on the edge of the table, "Although, I have to say, Lovell isn't enjoying the fact that she's no longer the baby of the family. She's going through an I-want-it-and-I-want-it-now phase."

"Terrible twos, huh?" Merlin grinned, "Just you wait until they get to their terrible teens. That's when you're really in trouble." They laughed and Gawain picked up his beaker and took a large swig, swinging it teasingly just out of Florence's reach as she stretched to grab it.

"What have you called him?" Freya asked curiously. Gawain turned away from his game with Florence.

"Gingalain." He replied. Merlin's mouth dropped wide open and Freya very nearly spat out her drink, "Her uncle's name. Don't ask." Merlin grinned.

"Of course. We won't." he paused, "You're going to give him a nickname though?"

"Yes. Believe it or not, Gingalain wasn't my first choice of a name for my only son." Gawain replied.

"Are you not having more children?" Freya asked gently. Gawain shook his head.

"We only kept going to have a boy; it's not considered seemly for a knight not to have at least one son. A bit unfair, really. I only ever wanted a daughter…" he trailed off and an awkward silence followed as Gawain was lost in thought, tousling with Florence's hair. She gazed up at him admiringly, her small mouth wide open in an 'o' shape.

"So…" Merlin said uncomfortably, "What have you nicknamed him?" Gawain looked to him blankly for a second before the question registered.

"Oh…Gigi." He replied. Merlin snorted.

"Isn't that a girl's na-" Merlin faltered as Freya elbowed him hard in the ribs. He clutched his side and turned to his wife, who was now smiling melodramatically at Gawain, "Ow! What was that for?"

"Merlin?" Gawain said bluntly, recapturing Merlin's attention, "How long would you last in battle with me?"

"Not long." Merlin replied.

"Then don't ever say that again." Gawain threatened.

"Yep." Merlin said, leaning back into his chair, "Sorry."

The air soon became awkward again as Merlin squirmed under Gawain's intimidating stare.

"So, Florence," Freya said, turning to the little girl in an attempt to make conversation, "How do you like having a baby brother?" Florence paused for a short while as she thought about the question in hand.

"He cries too much." She stated, "He's got a different body from me and Lovell; he's got a-" But before she could say anything else, Gawain placed his hand over her mouth, muffling the end of her sentence. Florence scowled at her father and attempted to pull his hand from her face unsuccessfully. Gawain grinned sheepishly at Freya and Merlin, who were both clearly trying to suppress laughter.

"Children." He stated apologetically, taking a large swig of ale. If this was the start of the feast, Gawain was dreading the end.

XXX

Loholt stood on the balcony, his form a solitary figure against the night sky. Overhead the stars glimmered tauntingly, boasting their beauty and remoteness, lording over the boy stood below. Candles and fires glowed clearly in the lower town at the foot of the castle, but beyond that there lay nothing; nothing but the silent loneliness of the empty fields and the calm, distant forests.

Loholt sighed at the beauty of it all, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the cold, hard stone of the balcony edge. Despite how furious he was at his father, the prince found it hard to be angry when he was out in the open air and in the natural world, not as a participant, but as an observer.

Loholt thought of Luna. She had looked hurt by his abrupt exit, and he hated himself for that. He hadn't meant to upset her. Loholt slammed his fist down hard on the edge of the balcony in frustration. He hated the way that she made him feel; he felt like he could lay down his life a million times over for her, and still not tire. He never felt like this about anyone. He had seen what it had done to his father; it had made him softer and more caring. Loholt wanted to he tough and not let any of his emotions through. So far he wasn't doing very well.

"Loholt?" said a soft voice. Spinning around, his hand flying to his sword, Loholt turned to face the advancing figure. Immediately the prince's shoulders relaxed as he recognised the girl stood before him.

"Luna." He said, sighing with relief, "You scared the life out of me." She smiled gently.

"You need to open you mind more; you should have sensed me coming." She retorted as she moved elegantly towards him, stopping when they were level and looking out over the balcony. Mesmerised by her movements, Loholt too turned to face the open night's sky, his eyes never leaving his companion.

"How?" he said suddenly, shocking himself in the process. Luna, however, didn't look phased.

"Close your eyes." She said, still watching the horizon with the usual dreamy expression on her face. Loholt did as she asked and shut his eyes, "Now imagine a sheet of parchment with small pebbles on it, each pebble containing a thought or memory. Then imagine sweeping it clean."

As soon as Loholt obeyed Luna's command everything became clearer. The soft noises around him were louder and the scents from the flowers on the vines around the balcony filled the air around him with an even stronger aroma. Loholt exhaled slowly, relaxing into the world around him. All his thoughts became more comprehendible and he suddenly realised what he had to do. He had to tell Luna how he felt.

Loholt opened his eyes and looked to Luna. She was watching him with a confused look on her face. He shifted closer to her and took both her hands in his.

"Luna," he started, looking into her eyes, "I need to tell you something."


End file.
